Health Literacy Problems and Lack of Social Support Systems Contribute to Non-Adherence
Number of elderly cancer patients to double by 2030, a brief news item from the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona, focuses on the prediction by cancer researchers that “the number of elderly cancer patients would likely double from 2000 to 2030, creating ‘huge challenges’ to healthcare systems worldwide.” One of the specific problems noted is noncompliance.
According to Kathy Redmond, editor of “Cancer World” and a featured speaker at the European Cancer Conference,
There’s an enormous lack of awareness about the scope of non-compliance in cancer. The elderly are at higher risk because they are more likely to have literacy and memory problems, and less likely to receive comprehensive information about their treatment. More and more of the elderly, living in isolation, are likely to lack the social networks — family and friends — that can help ensure that drugs are properly taken.
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~ Number of elderly cancer patients to double by 2030 ~
