Longitudinal cohort study of time burden in patients with metastatic breast or ovarian cancer

Most studies on cancer-related time burdens rely on administrative or medical record data, failing to accurately measure time spent on traveling or waiting, home care tasks, scheduling, and paperwork. A longitudinal cohort study at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis and the University of Alabama at Birmingham used a previously tested smartphone app to capture time demands among patients with metastatic breast or advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Patients used the app, Daynamica, for 28 days. Among 60 patients (median age 59 years; range 30-78) 17 (28%) were receiving initial treatment, 9 (15%) were receiving maintenance treatment, and 34 (57%) were receiving treatment for recurrence or progression. In total, participants spent a median (IQR) of 400 (266-603) minutes per week on cancer-related tasks. Over one-third (35%) reported that cancer-related tasks disrupted daily activities, including self-care, chores, work, or socializing, on more than half of their days.