OBJECTIVE: To evaluate compliance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. METHOD: Compliance was assessed through specific interviews. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients, aged under 18 and who had concluded the maintenance phase of chemotherapy, were enrolled on the study. Eighty-one per cent of the interviews were conducted with the patients' mothers; 92% of the families stated that medical instructions had been understood well. Interviews indicated that 27% of the patients did not receive their medication twice or more during the maintenance phase, without medical direction for this. These children were considered non-compliant. Sixteen per cent of the children failed to receive their medication three times or more. The main reason for non-compliance was forgetfulness. In ten cases the reported dosage of drugs was not that which was prescribed. No significant associations of non-compliance with parents' schooling level, number of family members or per capita family income were detected. The 8.5-year estimated probability of event free survival was 72.4% (95% CI: 59.2-82.3). The event free survival curves for non-compliant children were not statistically different from those for the compliant group. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that comprehensive approaches to the problem of non-compliance are urgently needed.
Chemotherapy; treatment; prognosis
