Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Apr 29;20(4):1133-1137.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.4.1133.

Causes of Treatment Abandonment of Pediatric Cancer Patients – Experience in a Regional Cancer Centre in North East India

Munlima Hazarika  1 , Rakesh Mishra  1 , Bhargab Jyoti Saikia  1 , Chidananda Bhuyan  1 , C W Nyuthe  1 , Anupam Sarma  2 , Gaurav Kumar  1 , Cliffton Sutnaga  1 , Manoj Kalita  3 , Partha Roy  1
Affiliations

Causes of Treatment Abandonment of Pediatric Cancer Patients – Experience in a Regional Cancer Centre in North East India

Munlima Hazarika et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

Abstract

Introduction: Refusal and abandonment of treatment is often considered as an important reason for poor survival of pediatric cancer patients in developing and underdeveloped countries. In this study we analyze the factors responsible for treatment abandonment and refusal in a Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in North East India. Material and Methods: All histopathologically or cytologically confirmed cases of childhood cancer from below 15 years of age registered from 1st April, 2010 to 31st March, 2017 were included in this study. Parents or caregivers were interviewed thoroughly and a questionnaire was filled up for analysis of demographic and socio-economic factors. Modified Kuppuswamy scale was used to measure socioeconomic status. Results: Of 592 patients 161 (27.1%) abandoned therapy and 23 (3.9%) refused treatment. Factors associated with abandonment of treatment included: lower risk if residing in urban areas (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.8333, 95% CI 0.565-1.228; P=0.36) and higher risk with maternal education less than secondary school (OR = 1.357; 95%CI: 0.553-3.326; P=0.505). Low socioeconomic status and age >5yrs were also associated with abandonment of treatment. In a binary logistic regression analysis, male sex [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.701; 95% CI 0.48-1.01; P=0.062] have lowest risk of abandoning treatment with trend to statistical significance. Conclusion: There is a need for proper definition of the problem of childhood cancer patients so that appropriate policy can be introduced to improve survival by improving treatment compliance.

Keywords: Pediatric cancer; treatment abandonment; treatment refusal; survival.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Arora RS, Eden T, Pizer B. The problem of treatment abandonment in children from developing countries with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2007;49:941–6. - PubMed
    1. Arora RS, Pizer B, Eden T. Refusal and abandonment in childhood cancer. Indian Pediatrics. 2010;47:1005–10. - PubMed
    1. Bonilla M, Gupta S, Vasquez R, et al. Predictors of outcome and methodological issues in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in El Salvador. Eur J Cancer. 2010;46:3280–6. - PubMed
    1. Bonilla M, Rossell N, Salaverria C, et al. Prevalence and predictors of abandonment of therapy among children with cancer in El Salvador. Int J Cancer. 2009;125:2144–6. - PubMed
    1. De Boer JD, Boellaard TN, Parkinson S, Blanchard E, Heij HA. Patient compliance in the treatment of Burkitt’s lymphoma in rural Zambia: a retrospective study on 80 Burkitt’s lymphoma patients in Katete, Zambia. Afr J Paediatr Surg. 2009;6:3–6. - PubMed