Using mobile devices to track symptoms during cancer treatment

A mobile sensing system to monitor symptoms during chemotherapy

NIH-funded research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11140965

This project is developing a way for mobile phones and wearable devices to help people undergoing cancer treatment keep track of their symptoms.

Quick facts

Grant typeR37 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Pittsburgh, United States)
Project IDNIH-11140965 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

We are creating a mobile system that uses information from your smartphone and wearable sensors to automatically detect how you are feeling during chemotherapy. This system uses smart computer programs to learn your symptom patterns without you having to manually log everything. Our goal is to develop a web application that can share real-time symptom predictions with you and offer personalized advice for managing them. This could help you receive more timely and tailored support for your symptoms.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This research is for patients currently undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

Not a fit: Patients not undergoing chemotherapy or those without cancer would not directly benefit from this specific technology.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to more personalized and timely support for managing symptoms during cancer treatment, potentially improving comfort and quality of life.

How similar studies have performed: Initial findings show promise in predicting overall symptom burden using passive sensor data, and this work builds on those early successes to predict specific symptoms.

Where this research is happening

Pittsburgh, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer Treatment
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.