Compliance with chemotherapy among breast cancer patients

This study explored the extent of and reasons for noncompliance with intravenously-administered chemotherapy among a sample of breast cancer patients. Overall, chemotherapy compliance was high (92%). The few cases of non-compliance identified were indirect. In particular, two patients rejected chemotherapy outright and two alcoholic patients used alcohol to avoid chemotherapy. The high rate of chemotherapy compliance was judged to be due to its perceived centrality to recovery from cancer, the "medical" nature of its administration, the ease with which non-compliance can be detected, and patients' spontaneous use of successful coping techniques.