[Survey on the Size of Oral Anticancer Drugs]

Oral anticancer drugs are standard treatments for many cancers and are expected to remain widely used. Owing to the super-aged nature of the Japanese society, the number of elderly patients with cancer is rapidly increasing. Poor adherence to oral medications owing to physical limitations and swallowing difficulties in elderly patients with cancer is a major problem affecting treatment. Therefore, a survey was conducted on the size of oral anticancer drugs marketed in Japan, and the actual prescription patterns were investigated using receipt data. The total diameter of oral anticancer drugs increased with the year of launch, with a significant increase in the long diameter of tablets. In Japan, oral anticancer drugs in tablet form with a long diameter of ≥7 mm and a total diameter of ≥21 mm accounted for 84.2% and 56.8%, respectively, of all oral anticancer drugs in tablet form. In addition, 96.8% and 42% of oral anticancer drugs in tablet form prescribed to people aged ≥65 years had a long diameter of ≥7 mm and a total diameter of ≥21 mm, respectively. Most drugs were larger than those that can be easily taken by the elderly. Furthermore, information on tablet crushing or simple suspension administration was lacking; these methods are clinically used when elderly patients have difficulty taking their medications. The results of this study suggest that adherence to oral anticancer medications may be reduced in elderly patients. Future studies should evaluate adherence to oral anticancer medicines among elderly patients.