Nurses and physicians weigh benefits and risks of home-based cancer treatment

Home-based cancer treatment is seen by healthcare professionals as meaningful and necessary, but its safe expansion depends on better patient assessment, stronger training and closer collaboration across care sectors, according to a qualitative study conducted in Denmark. The research, published in Supportive Care in Cancer, explored how nurses and physicians experience the growing shift of subcutaneous and intravenous cancer therapies from hospital wards into patients’ homes.

Advances in treatment modalities have made it possible to administer an increasing range of cancer therapies outside hospital settings, and home-based care models are being expanded. Implementation, however, varies considerably, and evidence on how healthcare professionals themselves view these models has remained limited. To address this gap, researchers carried out five focus group interviews in the haematology and oncology departments of two Danish university hospitals. Twenty-two healthcare professionals took part, twelve nurses and ten physicians, and the recorded and transcribed interviews were analysed thematically.

The analysis identified five themes.

Training emerged as a third theme: the professionals regarded patient education as a prerequisite for safe and confident self-management, since patients and families must handle treatments and recognise problems without staff nearby. Finally, workplace culture was identified as a driver for expanding home-based treatment within departments.

The authors conclude that home-based cancer treatment requires new approaches to assessing patients’ capabilities, greater attention to patient training and patients’ needs, and enhanced cross-sector and national collaboration and standardisation. National guidelines and systematic monitoring were considered essential to ensure that access to treatment at home remains safe, consistent and equitable as these models continue to grow.

Subject of Research: Healthcare professionals' experiences with home-based cancer treatment

Article Title: Healthcare professionals’ experiences with home-based treatment in cancer care

Article References: Bødtcher, H., Auener, S., Nørskov, K. H., Nielsen, I. H., & Dalton, S. O. (2026). Healthcare professionals’ experiences with home-based treatment in cancer care. Supportive Care in Cancer, 34(11), Article 1174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-026-11423-1

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s00520-026-11423-1

Keywords: home-based cancer treatment, healthcare professionals, qualitative study, focus groups, oncology, haematology, patient training, cross-sector collaboration, Denmark, patient empowerment, standardisation, Healthcare