Ensuring patients adhere to oral medications for cancer can be a complex task, especially if patients have low health literacy. Oral medications for cancer continue to be more prevalent, but rates of adherence to oral therapy vary widely by population, cancer type, and level of education. At the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, researchers presented the results of a study that hypothesized health literacy’s connection to oral medication adherence and whether a multilevel intervention approach would result in greater adherence.

I was more than a bit nervous to make the call. After all, she was a biology professor and knew more about life on a cellular level than I could possibly fathom. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. And I was calling to educate her?