Telemedicine reduces delays in bone sarcoma management in rural India

Connecting people with bone sarcoma living in rural villages in India with expert oncologists: This telemedicine model has shown to reduce delays in the management of these rare cancers by 40%, according to a presentation at the ESMO Sarcoma and Rare Cancers Congress 2025 (Lugano, 20–22 March) (Abstract 57O). Developed by the DigiSwasthya Foundation, a healthcare non-profit organisation providing teleconsultations, awareness programmes and referral pathways by leveraging technology, the platform also provided patient support while improving mental health outcomes.

Through over 69,000 telemedicine screenings and consultations since its implementation in 2021, the early diagnosis of 385 cancer cases has been supported, including 20 bone sarcomas diagnosed in the past year. Peer counselling and emotional support improved mental health outcomes in 78% of participants. In addition, more than 1,600 health camps in rural villages have helped to raise awareness of rare cancers among the underserved public.

While data on outcomes are themselves rare, it appears that improvements in diagnostics, treatment and care are responsible for the steady improvements in sarcoma survival seen in other regions, for example, Nordic countries (Cancer Epidemiol. 2024;92:102449).

Telemedicine can be a game-changer in remote areas where patients struggle with scarcity of trained workforce and specialised cancer facilities, high treatment costs and travel burdens. “This presentation clearly demonstrates the feasibility of a patient-centric model in a large diverse country where geographical challenges and economic issues limit specialist access and act as huge barriers to successful cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly for rare cancers,” comments Prof. Robin Jones from the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.

He also highlights survivorship support as an important element: “We want patients to enter into a collaboration with their healthcare team that extends beyond their initial diagnosis. This can be difficult for patients with rare cancers who may feel isolated, particularly in rural communities. Providing continuity of care remotely, along with mental health support and peer counselling, can improve treatment adherence and also result in patients having a more positive outlook.” The scalability of the telemedicine solution to other Indian states and its integration into the healthcare infrastructure would now benefit from further policymaker engagement and advocacy efforts.

While telemedicine was underexplored and underutilised before the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded knowledge on the potential of this approach to facilitate cancer care has been gained in recent years. “With examples such as this, we are at the stage where we have impactful solutions that can act as a blueprint across other rare cancers and underserved populations,” Jones concludes.