Patient-led, home-based follow-up for colorectal cancer: the DISTANCE multicentre stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is rising, consequentially traditional follow-up care models are increasingly unsustainable. Patient-led, home-based follow-up (PHFU) may offer a promising alternative to reduce hospital visits while maintaining patient well-being. METHODS: The DISTANCE trial is a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial conducted in six hospitals in the Netherlands. A total of 354 stage I-III CRC survivors, disease-free at 12 months post-surgery, assigned to either PHFU or standard follow-up. The primary endpoint was the number of hospital contacts. Secondary endpoints included quality of life (QoL, EORTC QLQ-C30), cancer-related worry (CWS), and psychological distress (HADS). RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, no significant difference in hospital contacts was observed. In the as-treated (AT) analysis, PHFU reduced hospital contacts by 38% compared to standard follow-up (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.51-0.75, p < 0.001). There was substantial crossover, with 117 patients assigned to PHFU receiving standard follow-up and 10 patients assigned to standard follow-up receiving PHFU. No significant differences were found in QoL or psychological distress between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The DISTANCE trial suggests that PHFU is a feasible and effective alternative to standard hospital-based follow-up for CRC survivors.TOC Summary.