odmj
OncoDaily Medical Journal
ODMJ
3067-6444
OncoDaily Medical Journal
US
4568
10.69690/ODMJ-001-0829-4568
Original Research
Identifying the Factors Contributing to Treatment Abandonment in Childhood Cancers at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan
Khan
Muhammad Wasim
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Children Hospital, PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
Manzoor
Ruqayya
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Children Hospital, PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
Yasmeen
Nuzhat
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Children Hospital, PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
Shaheen
Hijab
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Children Hospital, PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
Jamshed
Junaid
Pakistan Society of Pediatric Oncology, Karachi, Pakistan
junaidmph2011@hotmail.com
Rafique
Nazia
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Children Hospital, PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
31
08
2025
ODMJ-001-0829-4568
Copyright (c) 2025 OncoDaily Medical Journal
2025
OncoDaily Medical Journal
Childhood Cancers
Pakistan
Treatment abandonment
production-ready-file-url
[
Ward ZJ, Yeh JM, Bhakta N, Frazier AL, Atun R. Estimating the total incidence of global childhood cancer: a simulation-based analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2019 Apr;20(4):483-93.
]
[
Howard SC, Zaidi A, Cao X, Weil O, Bey P, Patte C, et al. The My Child Matters programme: effect of public-private partnerships on paediatric cancer care in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Oncol. 2018;19(5):e252-e66.
]
[
Gupta S, Howard SC, Hunger SP, Antillon FG, Metzger ML, Israels T, et al. Treating childhood cancer in low- and middle-income countries. In: Gelband H, Jha P, Sankaranarayanan R, Horton S, editors. Cancer: Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 3). Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; 2015 Nov 1. Chapter 7.
]
[
Badar F, Mahmood S. Cancers among children and adolescents at a cancer hospital in Pakistan. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2015;27(4):904-10.
]
[
Friedrich P, Lam CG, Kaur G, Itriago E, Ribeiro RC, Arora RS. Determining the incidence of abandonment of childhood cancer treatment in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17(6):e291–e300.
]
[
Siddiqui DE, Ashraf MS, Iftikhar S, Belgaumi AF. Predictors of treatment abandonment for patients with pediatric cancer at Indus Children Cancer Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018;65(2).
]
[
Mansell R, Purssell E. Treatment abandonment in children with cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis. J Adv Nurs. 2018;74(4):800-8.
]
[
Bhakta N, Force LM, Allemani C, Atun R, Bray F, Coleman MP, et al. Childhood cancer burden: a review of global estimates. Lancet Oncol. 2019 Jan;20(1):e42-e53.
]
[
Susanah S, Modjaningrat IF, Sari NM, Suryawan N. Parental factors contribute to childhood cancer abandonment treatment during COVID-19. Glob Pediatr Health. 20226;9:2333794X221109767.
]
[
Henry M, Nichols S, Hwang JM, Nichols SD, Odiyo P, Watson M, et al. Barriers to communicating a cancer diagnosis to patients in a low- to middle-income context. J Psychosoc Oncol Res Pract. 2021;3(2):e049.
]
[
World Health Organization. Global initiative for childhood cancer. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/04-10-2018-global-initiative-for-childhood-cancer. Accessed 9 Jul 2025.
]
[
Arora B, Kanwar V. Childhood cancers in India: burden, barriers, and breakthroughs. Indian J Cancer. 2009;46(4):257-9.
]
[
Tahura S, Hussain M. Treatment refusal and abandonment in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Bangladesh. Int J Sci Res. 2017;6(8):643–5.
]
[
Howard SC, Metzger ML, Wilimas JA, Quintana Y, Pui CH, Robison LL, et al. Childhood cancer epidemiology in low-income countries. Cancer. 2008;112(3):461-72.
]
[
Sitaresmi MN, Mostert S, Schook RM, Sutaryo, Veerman AJ. Treatment refusal and abandonment in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Indonesia: an analysis of causes and consequences. Psychooncology. 2010;19(4):361-7.
]
[
Bonilla M, Rossell N, Salaverria C, Gupta S, Barr R, Sala A, et al. Prevalence and predictors of abandonment of therapy among children with cancer in El Salvador. Int J Cancer. 2009;125(9):2144-6.
]
[
Wang YR, Jin RM, Xu JW, Zhang ZQ. A report about treatment refusal and abandonment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in China, 1997-2007. Leuk Res. 2011;35(12):1628-31.
]
[
Gupta S, Yeh S, Martiniuk A, Lam CG, Chen HY, Liu YL, et al. The magnitude and predictors of abandonment of therapy in paediatric acute leukaemia in middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Cancer. 2013;49(11):2555-64.
]
[
Arora RS, Eden TO, Kapoor G. Epidemiology of childhood cancer in India. Indian J Cancer. 2009;46(4):264-73.
]
[
Hazarika M, Mishra R, Saikia BJ, Bhuyan C, Nyuthe CW, Sarma A, et al. Causes of treatment abandonment of pediatric cancer patients – experience in a regional cancer centre in North East India. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2019;20(4):1133-7.
]
[
Mirutse MK, Tolla MT, Memirie ST, Palm MT, Hailu D, Abdi KA, et al. The magnitude and perceived reasons for childhood cancer treatment abandonment in Ethiopia: from health care providers’ perspective. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022;22(1):1014.
]
[
Haileselassie W, Mulugeta T, Tigeneh W, Kaba M, Labisso WL. The situation of cancer treatment in Ethiopia: challenges and opportunities. J Cancer Prev. 2019;24(1):33-42.
]
[
Molla YM, Shad A, Wali R, Yimer MA. The magnitude and associated factors of childhood cancer treatment abandonment at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):10534.
]
[
Gull A, Ain RU, Faizan M, Riaz S, Mushtaq W, Iqbal L, et al. Caregiver-reported reasons and outcomes of treatment default among pediatric oncology patients at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan: Pediatric cancer treatment default in Pakistan. Pak J Health Sci. 2025;6(6):37-41.
]
[
Vasquez L, Diaz R, Chavez S, Tarrillo F, Maza I, Hernandez E, et al. Factors associated with abandonment of therapy by children diagnosed with solid tumors in Peru. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018;65(6):e27007.
]
[
Khatiwoda SR, Dhungana RR, Sapkota VP, Singh S. Estimating the direct cost of cancer in Nepal: A cross-sectional study in a tertiary cancer hospital. Front Public Health. 2019 ;7:160.
]
[
Pérez-Cuevas R, Doubova SV, Zapata-Tarres M, Flores-Hernández S, Frazier L, Rodríguez-Galindo C, et al. Scaling up cancer care for children without medical insurance in developing countries: The case of Mexico. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013;60(2):196-203.
]
[
Stanley CC, van der Gronde T, Westmoreland KD, Salima A, Amuquandoh A, Itimu S, et al. Risk factors and reasons for treatment abandonment among children with lymphoma in Malawi. Support Care Cancer. 2018;26(3):967-73.
]
[
Amayiri N, Bouffet E. Treatment abandonment and refusal among children with central nervous system tumors in Jordan. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021;68(8):e29054.
]
[
Yadav SP, Rastogi N, Kharya G, Misra R, Ramzan M, Katewa S, et al. Barriers to cure for children with cancer in India and strategies to improve outcomes: a report by the Indian Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2014;31(3):217-24.
]
[
Ahmad I, Ghafoor T, Ullah A, Naz S, Tahir M, Ahmed S, et al. Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors: 10 years’ experience from a low- and middle-income country. JCO Glob Oncol. 2023;9:e2200288.
]
[
Magrath I, Steliarova-Foucher E, Epelman S, Ribeiro RC, Harif M, Li CK, et al. Paediatric cancer in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(3):e104-16.
]
[
Mensah ABB, Nunoo H, Mensah KB, Okyere J, Dzomeku VM, Apiribu F, et al. Impact of childhood and adolescence cancer on family caregivers: a qualitative analysis of strains, resources and coping behaviours. BMC Psychol. 2023;11(1):361.
]
[
Graetz DE, Garza M, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Mack JW. Pediatric cancer communication in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Cancer. 2020;126(23):5030-9.
]
[
Chiragh S, Rehman A, Ahmad S. Financial toxicity of cancer treatment and its impact on quality of life in tertiary care public sector hospital. J Med Sci. 2017;25(3):313–8.
]
[
Alam A, Kumar A. Prevalence, predictors, causes of treatment refusal and abandonment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia over 18 years in North India. Treatment phase affecting factors: A step towards better focussed counselling. Cancer Epidemiol. 2018;57:53-9.
]
[
Ghazawy ER, Mohammed ES, Mahfouz EM, Abdelrehim MG. Determinants of caregiver burden of persons with disabilities in a rural district in Egypt. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):1156.
]
[
Lima RAG, Lopes-Júnior LC, Maia EBS, Fuentes-Alabi S, Ponce MLV. Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer Control: Increasing access, improving quality, saving lives. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2023;31:e3998.
]
[
Slone JS, Chunda-Liyoka C, Perez M, Mutalima N, Newton R, Chintu C, et al. Pediatric malignancies, treatment outcomes and abandonment of pediatric cancer treatment in Zambia. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e89102.
]
[
Asuzu CC, Akin-Odanye EO, Asuzu MC, Holland J. A socio-cultural study of traditional healers’ role in African health care. Infect Agent Cancer. 20194:15.
]
[
Njuguna F, Mostert S, Slot A, Langat S, Skiles J, Sitaresmi MN, et al. Abandonment of childhood cancer treatment in Western Kenya. Arch Dis Child. 201499(7):609-14.
]
[
Ferman S, Lima FFDS, Lage CRS, da Hora SS, Vianna DT, Thuler LC. Preventing treatment abandonment for children with solid tumors: A single-center experience in Brazil. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019;66(7):e27724.
]