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With the rise in availability and increasing use of oral anticancer agents, concerns about adherence
to prescribed regimens will become an increasingly important issue in oncology. Few published studies
have focused on adherence to oral antineoplastic therapy, in part because the vast majority of
chemotherapy historically have been delivered intravenously in physicians' offices or hospitals.
However, with over 50 oral products currently in development across manufacturers’ pipelines, there
is a need to focus on improving measurement and prediction of adherence and on deploying interventions
to improve adherence for both patients in clinical trials and patients being treated outside of the research setting.
A review of cancer patient noncompliance found that up to 80% failed to strictly follow their prescriptions.
(JNCI Vol 94 (9)) Many cancer centers do not have a formal system to track patient compliance with their oral
treatment plans. The risk to patients is substantial. Patients who take too much chemotherapy risk a toxic reaction
or long-term damage. Patients who take too little lose the therapeutic benefits of the drug.
eMedonline was developed with partial support from the National Cancer Institute for use as a therapeutic solution
for medication compliance among cancer patients and patients participating in clinical trials involving oral antineoplastic
therapy. eMedonline can be a useful tool in monitoring compliance in order to manage adverse events and maintain dose intensity.
Patients report that eMedonline makes them feel more comfortable with their medicine and helps them self-monitor in order to
keep them from disregarding important symptoms. Clinicians suggest that it is also a helpful tapering tool. It is the natural
convergence of compliance, intervention, and outcomes.
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