Application of conversational agents in symptom management of cancer patients: a scoping review

ObjectiveTo systematically retrieve the research on the application of conversational agents in symptom management of cancer patients,to provide reference for precise symptom management practice of cancer patients.MethodsThe relevant literature on the application of conversational agents in symptom management of cancer patients from PubMed,EMbase,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,ProQuest,EBSCO,CNKI,VIP Database,WanFang Database,and CBM were retrieved.The retrieval period was from the establishment of the databases to November 22,2025.The included literature were summarized and analyzed.ResultsA total of 26 literatures were included.The response models of conversational agents were mainly natural language processing⁃based,rule⁃based,and mixture model.The information output sources included authoritative clinical guidelines and self⁃developed evidence⁃based question⁃and⁃answer databases.The information output formats included text,voice,and multimodal formats.Intervention contents included symptom monitoring and grading management,medication management and compliance management,health education and information support,psychological and emotional support,lifestyle intervention.The main outcome indicators were physical symptoms,psychosocial health outcomes,and user experience.ConclusionsThe symptom management of cancer patients based on conversational agents is feasible and effective.It shows a good application prospect in improving cancer patients' self⁃management ability,quality of life,enhancing satisfaction and compliance,optimizing the allocation of medical resources,and promoting doctor⁃patient communication and information sharing.