TREATMENT ADHERENCE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING INFUSIONAL 5-FLUOROURACIL OR ORAL CAPECITABINE WITHOUT GRADE ≥2 TOXICITY: A REAL-WORLD COMPARATIVE STUDY

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare treatment adherence in cancer patients who received infusional 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine and did not experience grade 2 or higher adverse events, demonstrating that, in addition to factors such as efficacy and toxicity profile evaluated in oncology studies, adherence is also an important consideration for clinicians regarding patient outcomes.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single center. The study enrolled 61 cancer patients who received either intravenous 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine at the Kütahya Health Sciences University Evliya Çelebi Education and Research Hospital and Kütahya City Hospital between 2021 and 2025. Treatment adherence was compared by evaluating whether patients received the intended dose of capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil.Results: Our study found that 14 out of 30 patients receiving capecitabine were non-adherent to treatment, while 7 out of 31 patients in the 5-fluorouracil group were non-adherent. A statistically significant degree of non-adherence was observed in the capecitabine group.Conclusion: Capecitabine is an effective and well-tolerated treatment, but its oral administration at home means that patient adherence is of utmost importance. Clinicians must pay the highest level of attention to patient adherence to ensure the efficacy of capecitabine treatment.