A medication diary‐book for pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Indonesia

Background Event‐free survival of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia was low (20%). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a medication diary‐book on the treatment outcome of childhood ALL. Procedure A randomized study was conducted with 109 pediatric patients with ALL in a pediatric oncology center in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Both intervention and control groups received a structured parental education program and donated chemotherapy. The intervention group received a medication diary‐book to remind parents and families to take oral chemotherapy and present for scheduled appointments or admissions. Event‐free survival estimate (EFS) at 3 years was assessed. Results Among pediatric patients with ALL with highly educated mothers (senior high school or higher), the EFS‐estimate at 3 years of the intervention group was significantly higher than the EFS‐estimate at 3 years of the control group (62% vs. 29%, P  = 0.04). Among pediatric patients with ALL with low‐educated mothers, no significant difference was found in the EFS‐estimates at 3 years between the intervention and control group (26% vs. 18%, P  = 0.86). Conclusions We conclude that a medication diary‐book might be useful to improve the survival of pediatric patients with ALL in resource‐limited settings, particularly in patients with highly educated mothers. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1593–1597. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.