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Published on: June 21, 2024
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Tablet Acceptability in Older Outpatients Undergoing Cancer Chemotherapy.
Eri Hikita1,2, Mami Oosaki1, Ayano Suzuki1
1Department of Pharmacy, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital, Tokyo 130-8575, Japan.
Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 24, 2026
Summary
Female patients and those on polypharmacy are more likely to have poor tablet acceptability in cancer chemotherapy. Early assessment of oral function and medication is key for adherence.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Oncology
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Patient Adherence Research
Background:
- Patient acceptability of oral anticancer drugs is crucial for treatment adherence and effectiveness in older outpatients.
- Identifying patients with poor tablet acceptability before initiating oral therapy allows for proactive interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patient characteristics associated with poor tablet acceptability in older outpatients receiving cancer chemotherapy.
- Focus areas included tablet size, geriatric assessment, and polypharmacy.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey assessed tablet medication experiences in 90 chemotherapy outpatients.
- Poor tablet acceptability was defined using median cutoff values for tablet dimensions (long diameter ≤12mm, combined dimensions ≤26mm).
- Logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with poor tablet acceptability, including sex, BMI, Geriatric 8 score, Oral Frailty Checklist items, and polypharmacy.
Main Results:
- Female sex and polypharmacy were identified as independent factors associated with poor tablet acceptability.
- Subjective difficulty in chewing also showed a tendency towards association with poor tablet acceptability.
Conclusions:
- Assessing polypharmacy and oral function is important for maintaining tablet acceptability in older cancer patients.
- Early, multidisciplinary intervention, especially for females, those on multiple medications, and individuals with chewing difficulties, can improve adherence to oral anticancer therapy.
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