A study has shown that a high number of patients struggle to adhere to oral antineoplastic therapies as prescribed by their provider.
Antineoplastic agents are oral drugs that help to halt the process of cell division by initiating cell death, which can prevent the development and spread of tumor cells. These drugs can not only improve survival but also reduce the burden of care for patients with cancer, making them a common regimen prescribed by oncologists. However, patients and physicians face significant challenges in managing adherence to these oral therapies, and standardized procedures for safe administration, monitoring, and management of medications are lacking.
In a study published in The Oncologist, lead author Joseph A. Greer, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA) and his colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess rates and correlates of adherence to oral antineoplastic therapies as well as the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving adherence. A total of 51 papers on rates and correlates of adherence to oral antineoplastic therapies and 12 papers on interventions to improve adherence were identified for the study.
Overall, rates of adherence reported in the reviewed studies ranged from 46% to 100%, depending on patient sample, medication type, follow-up period, assessment measure, and calculation of adherence. Of the intervention studies reviewed, only 3 showed a benefit for improving adherence, and the majority of the studies were subject to high-risk bias.
The authors concluded that many patients struggle to take these medication as prescribed, and the limited research on interventional methods provides little guidance on promoting adherence among patients with cancer. Therefore, it is necessary for oncology practices to develop standard procedures for educating patients, reviewing and documenting treatment plans, and routinely monitoring patient adherence to oral antineoplastic therapies.
