FRIDAY, March 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy spend hours in hospitals or care centers, biding their time while IVs drip tumor-killing chemicals into their veins.

But that might soon be a thing of the past for some patients, a new Mayo Clinic study says.

Chemotherapy can be safely delivered in patients’ homes, saving them a lot of hassle and drudgery, researchers reported in the April 2026 issue of the journal NEJM Catalyst.

"Cancer care has traditionally required patients to spend long hours in infusion centers, often far from home," said lead researcher Dr. Roxana Dronca, site director of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida.

"This model allows us to safely bring high-quality care directly to patients, reducing burden while maintaining the standards patients expect from Mayo Clinic,” she said in a news release.

For the pilot study, researchers delivered 93 IV chemo infusions to 10 patients in their homes.

Patients maintained a continuous connection with their cancer care team through virtual visits and remote monitoring, researchers said. 

Results indicated that home chemotherapy can be done safely and effectively, with no treatment-related infusion reactions or catheter-related infections among the patients.

Six of the 10 patients completed at least six months of home-based chemo, and four of those six asked to continue receiving chemo at home beyond the initial six-month period.

Four patients had to quit home-based chemo early, most because they needed a different chemotherapy regimen that couldn’t be delivered at their home, researchers said.

Most patients reported high satisfaction with their at-home care, and said they’d recommend it to others, according to the study.

Home-based chemo can reduce the physical, emotional and financial burdens of cancer treatment, researchers said. Patients don’t have to travel to a clinic for their chemo, and thus experience fewer disruptions to their daily life.

"This approach is about more than convenience," Dronca said. "It's about improving quality of life during treatment and expanding access to care for patients who may face barriers to reaching traditional cancer centers."

Mayo Clinic is following up this pilot study with a full-fledged clinical trial, which launched in August 2023.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about chemotherapy.

SOURCES: Mayo Clinic, news release, March 19, 2026; NEJM Catalyst, April 2026