Safety and real-world outcomes from a home-based, systemic anticancer therapy program: A prospective observational study

INTRODUCTION: The increasing number of patients receiving systemic anticancer therapies has placed growing pressure on oncology day hospitals and may negatively impact patients' quality of life due to frequent hospital visits. Home administration of selected antineoplastic treatments has emerged as a potential strategy to reduce hospital burden while maintaining treatment safety. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a nurse-led, home-based program for the administration of systemic anticancer therapies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study at a tertiary care hospital between December 2020 and November 2025. Adult oncology patients receiving selected systemic anticancer therapies were eligible for home administration following predefined clinical criteria. Safety outcomes included infusion-related reactions, extravasation events and complications requiring urgent medical intervention or hospital transfer. RESULTS: A total of 186 patients were included, accounting for 2226 treatment administrations at home. No infusion-related reactions, extravasation events, or complications requiring urgent intervention or hospital transfer were observed. The program enabled prolonged treatment administration in the home setting while maintaining adherence to therapy and preserving the established hospital clinical workflows. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that home administration of selected systemic anticancer therapies is feasible and can be implemented with a high level of safety when appropriate patient selection, standardized protocols, and specialized nursing staff are in place. Home-based oncology treatment programs may represent a valuable complementary care model to optimize healthcare resources while maintaining safe delivery of systemic therapies.