Digital health interventions for oncofertility in female patients: a systematic review

The importance of fertility preservation during cancer treatment is increasingly emphasized, and the provision of oncofertility care has gained significant attention. This study aims to systematically collect and analyze research on digital interventions related to oncofertility for cancer patients and survivors.

Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search for studies on digital interventions for oncofertility targeting cancer patients and survivors, published up to November 5, 2024, was conducted using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and RISS. The retrieved articles underwent screening based on their titles, abstracts, and full texts, and were subsequently selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Risk of Bias 2.0 tool for randomized controlled trials and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies tool.

From 17,820 retrieved articles, five studies were ultimately selected. Of these, four targeted cancer patients, and one involved cancer survivors. The most common type of intervention was web-based. The studies assessed outcomes across domains including symptom management, emotional, and cognitive functioning, and usability. Significant effects were noted in the emotional domain for fertility-related stress and in the cognitive domain for knowledge.

This review highlights the increasing use of digital health interventions in oncofertility care, with most being web-based. The findings suggest that such interventions may help improve emotional well-being and fertility-related knowledge. Further research is warranted to diversify digital modalities and to develop personalized, evidence-based approaches tailored to the needs of cancer patients.