The study evaluates symptom patterns in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors—pembrolizumab (pembro), nivolumab (nivo), or combination nivo/ipilimumab (ipi)—across community oncology practices. Using the Canopy RTM platform, patients submitted ePRO data used to assess toxicities and their functional impact. Key findings include:
- Pembro monotherapy may be associated with a lower incidence of some symptoms: Patients receiving pembro reported fewer symptoms compared to those on nivo (+/- ipi), while nivo monotherapy has fewer symptoms than nivo/ipi treatment.
- Symptom profiles vary across pembro monotherapy and nivo monotherapy: Distinct patterns of side effects—including infection and activities of daily living (ADLs)—were observed.
- ePRO as delivered through RTM may enable proactive intervention: The RTM platform supported structured, ongoing symptom reporting during treatment, providing care teams with insights that support proactive intervention.
"Immune checkpoint inhibitors may work through similar mechanisms, but this study highlights that patients don't experience each regimen the same way. Incorporating structured ePRO collection into routine care is both feasible and informative, offering real-time visibility into symptom trends that may help guide clinical decision-making."
—Benjamin Derman, MD, lead author and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago
- Symptom patterns varied across NCCN-preferred regimens: Patients on ACT more frequently reported nausea and neuropathy, while those on TC reported more fatigue, pain, and diarrhea.
- ePRO as delivered through RTM captured symptom experience across regimens: Real-time reporting enabled clinicians to track symptom trends longitudinally throughout standard chemotherapy.
"Even among regimens considered clinically equivalent, the patient experience can vary significantly. ePROs offer critical insight into those differences—and help clinicians guide patients with greater transparency and precision."
—Michael Kolodziej, MD, lead author and Chief Medical Officer at Canopy
Previous studies highlighting the potential impact of Canopy’s platform on oncology patient experience in real-world settings have demonstrated:
- 45% improvement in treatment persistence at three months¹ [ASCO, 2022]
- 22% reduction in ER visits/hospitalizations per 100 patient months² [ASCO, 2022]
- 88% patient engagement sustained at six months³ [JCO, 2022]
At the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting, Canopy presented data highlighting:
- 37% reduction in treatment discontinuation at three months⁴ [ASH, 2024]
- Improved early detection of toxicities with bispecific antibody therapies⁵ [ASH, 2024]
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1 Parrinello, C., Calkins, G., Kwiatkowsky, L., Schaefer, E. S., Beck, J. T., Ellis, A. R., Blau, S., Telivala, B. P., & Kolodziej, M. A. (2022). Time on treatment is prolonged in patients utilizing an ePRO based digital symptom monitoring platform in the community setting. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 40(16_suppl), 1528. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.1528
2 Kolodziej, M. A., Kwiatkowsky, L., Parrinello, C., Thurow, T., Schaefer, E. S., Beck, J. T., Cherny, N., & Blau, S. (2022). ePRO-based digital symptom monitoring in a community oncology practice to reduce emergency room and inpatient utilization. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 40(16_suppl), 1508
3 Cherny, N. I., Parrinello, C. M., Kwiatkowsky, L., Hunnicutt, J., Beck, T., Schaefer, E., Thurow, T., & Kolodziej, M. (2022). Feasibility of Large-Scale Implementation of an Electronic Patient- Reported Outcome Remote Monitoring System for Patients on Active Treatment at a Community Cancer Center. JCO Oncology Practice, 18(12), e1918-e1926. DOI: 10.1200/OP.22.00180
4 Essell, J. H., Derman, B. A., Kolodziej, M. A., Kwiatkowsky, L., Calkins, G., Parrinello, C. M., & Ascha, M. S. (2024, December 8). Symptoms detection among patients with lymphoid malignancies (LM) using electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) in community hematology-oncology clinics. American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting
5 Derman, B. A., Essell, J. H., Kolodziej, M. A., Kwiatkowsky, L., Calkins, G., Parrinello, C. M., & Ascha, M. S. (2024, December 9). Electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) symptom monitoring for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in community settings, focusing on bispecific antibody therapy. American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting