PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — A new study published in the June 2025 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network highlights the life-changing impact of a telehealth-based care program called Geriatric Assessment-Guided Intervention-Supportive Care (GAIN-S) for older adults undergoing cancer treatment. The research found that patients aged 65 and older experienced better daily functioning, improved mood, greater understanding of their illness, and higher quality of life after participating in the program.
The randomized clinical trial, conducted between June 2022 and July 2023 in Brazil, included 77 patients with metastatic solid tumors. Most participants lived in remote or underserved areas, while care providers were concentrated in urban centers. GAIN-S delivered services such as personalized fitness training, nutritional and psychiatric support, and psychosocial assistance entirely through telehealth. After three months, patients in the program demonstrated significant improvement across all measured categories.
“Instead of requiring older patients to travel long distances for tailored and specialized care, we brought the expertise to them, ensuring equity in access regardless of geography,” said senior author William Dale, MD, PhD, of City of Hope, a national cancer research and treatment organization in Los Angeles. “It was a win-win for patients, families, and providers, bringing this growing standard of care to many more people using the available resources in an efficient way.”
This study has crucial implications for countries with significant geographic and resource disparities, according to lead author Cristiane Decat Bergerot, PhD, of Oncoclinicas&Co in São Paulo. “By bringing supportive care approaches to patients at the beginning of their cancer care journey, we can significantly improve the experience, communication, and outcomes of patients’ lives,” she said.
The program leveraged tools like WhatsApp for scheduling appointments and securely managing patient consent. Messages were encrypted and could automatically disappear after 24 hours, enhancing security and privacy for participants.
The findings stress the opportunity to expand Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Management (CGAM) into broader healthcare settings through telehealth. Along with the study, the June issue of JNCCN also features a commentary by Martine Extermann, MD, PhD, of Moffitt Cancer Center. Extermann praised the study’s potential to reshape care delivery for older cancer patients worldwide.
“Randomized clinical trials have established CGAM as the standard of care approach for optimal outcomes in older patients with cancer and are recommended in the NCCN Guidelines® and others,” she said. “But CGAM has long been considered a ‘niche’ activity limited to large academic cancer centers. An increasing number of studies show it can be implemented in a broader practice setting, and now in low- and middle-income countries as well. Let us spread the benefits of it.”
The study underscores the vital role telehealth can play in bridging gaps in healthcare access and delivering equitable, high-quality care across diverse populations and geographies.
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