The role of digital therapeutics in the management of prostate cancer: A systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Digital therapeutics (DTx) has emerged as a transformative approach in healthcare, offering innovative solutions for disease management and treatment optimization. Prostate cancer (PCa), the second most common malignancy in men, has seen increasing incidence rates, driving the development of new digital technologies for PCa management.

PURPOSE

This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current status and effectiveness of DTx in managing PCa.

METHODS

Based on the framework of Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in major domestic and international databases. The search aimed to retrieve studies on DTx for PCa from database inception to November 2024. The retrieved data were systematically summarized and analyzed using descriptive numerical summaries and thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 23 studies were included. The study types were primarily randomized controlled trials. The application forms of DTx included internet-based platforms, mobile health, and wearable devices. The primary focus of DTx applications in PCa patients included survivorship support, symptom management and side-effect monitoring, psychological support and emotional management, patient education and self-management, health management and rehabilitation, and treatment adherence management.

CONCLUSION

DTx demonstrates diverse applications in the management of PCa and has shown potential in improving patients' quality of life. Future research should integrate DTx with diagnosis and therapeutic approaches, with a particular emphasis on developing DTx tools tailored explicitly for PCa patients. High-quality randomized controlled trials should be prioritized to validate these interventions further.