TY - JOUR ID - 89758 TI - The Effect of a Patient Navigator on Treatment Abandonment and Follow-up for High Grade Osteosarcoma Patients in the Philippine General Hospital JO - Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention JA - APJCP LA - en SN - 1513-7368 AU - Gaston, Czar Louie AU - Taleon, Kathleen AU - Barsales, Ken AU - Dimayuga, Cesar AU - Estanislao, Jochrys AU - Fajardo, Pamela AU - Quintos, Albert AU - Rubio, Donnel AU - Wang, Edward AU - Alcasabas, Ana Patricia AD - Department of Orthopedics, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila. AD - Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila. Y1 - 2021 PY - 2021 VL - 22 IS - 9 SP - 2873 EP - 2877 KW - osteosarcoma KW - abandonment KW - navigator KW - LMIC (Low to middle income country) DO - 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.9.2873 N2 - Introduction: Treatment abandonment for osteosarcoma is a significant problem in developing countries with rates as high as 70%. This study aimed to determine the effect of a patient navigator on treatment abandonment and patient follow-up of osteosarcoma patients at a tertiary referral center. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of osteosarcoma patients was performed investigating 2 cohorts based on the start of the patient navigator. Group 1 (Pre-Patient Navigator, n=46) were treated from January 2016 to December 2017 while Group 2 (Post-Patient Navigator, n=29) were treated from January 2018 to June 2019. The primary outcome investigated was treatment abandonment defined as missing 4 or more consecutive weeks of treatment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate the effect of the patient navigator on the cohorts. Results: Treatment abandonment rates for the Pre-Patient Navigator group was significantly higher compared to those with a patient navigator (50% vs 6%, p=0.0001). Abandonment for the pre-navigator group occurred at a mean of 2.9 months (0 – 9 months, median 3 months). Fourteen of 23 patients who abandoned from Group 1 did not proceed to neoadjuvant chemotherapy while 3 patients abandoned after completing 1 cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In the patient navigator group, no patients abandoned prior to completing 3 cycles of chemotherapy. One patient abandoned after refusing a below knee amputation after 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 1 patient did not complete further chemotherapy after having a hip disarticulation. Patient feedback on the patient navigator experience was favorable. Conclusions: Having a patient navigator from diagnosis throughout treatment reduced treatment abandonment rates in osteosarcoma patients and may serve as a model for other low to middle income countries. UR - https://journal.waocp.org/article_89758.html L1 - https://journal.waocp.org/article_89758_fbe8d60f2ce18baa9853d524136689b3.pdf ER -