Nearly one-quarter of children in remission from ALL miss doses of maintenance medication

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Children in remission from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) must take 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) for 2 years to prevent disease reemergence; however, a study shows that an estimated 25% of children in remission are not taking this essential maintenance medication at least 90% of the time, tripling their relapse risk. Adherence is lowest in African American (46%) and Asian (28%) children, compared with non-Hispanic white children (14%). Children who came from household in which their mother acted as full-time caregiver and medication supervisor had better adherence. Relatively low level of education in the mother as well as single-parent, multiple-children households were factors in nonadherence among African American children. Coming from a low-income household was a factor among Asian children. Nonadherence was lower in non-Hispanic children whose fathers had a low education level. However, regardless of race, forgetfulness was the most common reason reported for children not taking their 6MP medication.