The Effect of Therapy Refusal Against Medical Advice in Retinoblastoma Patients in a Setting Where Treatment Delays are Common

Abstract

First, the high level of therapy refusal in a developing country like Indonesia has an adverse effect on the survival outcome of retinoblastoma patients. Second, the change of the tumor stage from intraocular to extraocular is the most adverse predictive factor for survival. Third, the advanced stage of the tumor is caused by long delay to admission. In a developing country the parents of many young patients refuse to accept the recommended therapy and therefore the tumor may reach a critical stage for the prognosis.