Pancreatic cancer is a serious disease that often makes people feel very sick during treatment. Researchers are testing whether using a smartphone app and smartwatch to track exercise, food, pain, and tiredness can help patients feel better while getting chemotherapy. In this study, 132 patients across Europe will either receive regular cancer care or regular care plus digital support that helps doctors monitor their health daily. The goal is to see if this personalized digital help improves quality of life and helps doctors make better treatment decisions for these very sick patients.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether using a smartphone app and smartwatch to track health information helps pancreatic cancer patients feel better during chemotherapy treatment
  • Who participated: 132 advanced pancreatic cancer patients from hospitals in Estonia, Israel, and Germany who are receiving chemotherapy
  • Key finding: This is a study protocol (a plan for research), not yet completed. Researchers will compare patients who use digital health tracking tools with those who receive standard care only, measuring quality of life at 8 weeks
  • What it means for you: If this study shows positive results, it could mean that cancer patients in the future might have access to better tools to manage their symptoms and help their doctors provide more personalized care during treatment

The Research Details

This is a randomized controlled trial, which is considered one of the strongest types of medical research. Researchers will randomly divide 132 pancreatic cancer patients into two equal groups. One group will receive their normal chemotherapy and standard care. The other group will receive the same chemotherapy and standard care, but with added digital support through a smartphone app and smartwatch. Patients in the digital support group will track their daily physical activity, what they eat, pain levels, and tiredness using their devices. Every two weeks, their doctor will review this information on a computer dashboard and discuss it with them during regular visits, with help from a team of specialists like nutritionists and pain management experts.

This research design is important because it allows researchers to fairly compare whether the digital tools actually help, rather than just assuming they do. By randomly assigning patients to groups, researchers can be more confident that any differences in how patients feel are due to the digital support and not other factors. The study also tracks information over time, which helps show how patients change during their treatment.

This is a well-designed study because it uses randomization (random assignment to groups), includes a control group for comparison, involves multiple hospitals in different countries, and measures specific health outcomes. The study is registered in an official clinical trials database, which increases transparency. However, this is a study protocol (the plan), not yet completed results, so we don’t yet know if the intervention actually works.

What the Results Show

This study has not yet been completed, so final results are not available. The researchers plan to measure the main outcome at 8 weeks: whether patients in the digital support group maintain better physical functioning and appetite compared to the standard care group. They will also look at how long it takes before patients experience significant declines in these areas. The study will collect daily information from smartwatches and apps to create detailed pictures of how each patient is doing throughout their treatment.

Beyond the main measurements, researchers will also examine whether the digital support helps with pain control, reduces extreme tiredness, improves nutrition, prevents muscle loss, and increases physical activity. They will also look at whether the digital support helps patients from different economic backgrounds equally well, and whether it reduces the overall cost of care.

Previous research shows that supportive care combining exercise, good nutrition, and pain management helps cancer patients feel better. However, most cancer patients don’t receive all these services together because they’re hard to coordinate. This study is novel because it uses technology to make it easier for doctors to provide all these services at once and to monitor patients between office visits. The digital approach may help catch problems earlier and allow doctors to adjust treatment faster.

This is a study protocol, so we cannot yet evaluate the actual results. The study includes only 132 patients from three European countries, so results may not apply to all pancreatic cancer patients worldwide. The study focuses on advanced pancreatic cancer specifically, so findings may not apply to earlier stages. Patients must be able to use smartphone technology, which may exclude some older adults or those less comfortable with technology. The study measures outcomes at 8 weeks, so we don’t know about longer-term benefits.

The Bottom Line

This is a research study in progress, so no clinical recommendations can be made yet. However, if you have advanced pancreatic cancer and are interested in comprehensive supportive care that includes exercise, nutrition, and pain management, discuss with your doctor whether you might benefit from digital health tools that help track your symptoms. Current evidence suggests that multimodal supportive care (combining multiple types of support) is helpful, even before we know if the digital tracking adds extra benefit.

This research is most relevant to: patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy, oncologists and cancer care teams, healthcare systems looking to improve cancer care, and patients interested in using technology to manage their health. This study may be less relevant to patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer or those unable to use smartphone technology.

This study is currently enrolling patients and is expected to provide results within the next 1-2 years. If positive results are found, it may take another 1-3 years for hospitals to implement these digital support systems into regular practice.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily physical activity minutes, meals eaten, pain level (0-10 scale), and fatigue level (0-10 scale) using a smartwatch and mobile app, with weekly summaries to share with your healthcare team
  • Set a daily goal for light physical activity (like a 10-minute walk), log meals to ensure adequate nutrition, and rate pain and fatigue each evening to identify patterns that your doctor can help address
  • Review your weekly health dashboard with your doctor every two weeks during clinic visits, looking for trends in pain, fatigue, activity levels, and nutrition to adjust your care plan as needed

This article describes a research study protocol that is currently in progress and has not yet produced final results. The findings described are based on the study design and goals, not on completed research outcomes. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be used to make medical decisions. If you have pancreatic cancer or are considering participating in a clinical trial, please discuss all treatment options and research studies with your oncologist or healthcare provider. Always consult with qualified medical professionals before making changes to your cancer treatment or care plan.