Purpose: This study is a descriptive investigation in order to contribute improvement of diet of patients with anti-cancer chemotherapy by figuring out knowledge and compliance about permission and limitation of neutropenic diet of those patients.

Methods: Participants were 123, 18-year-old and over adult patients who were diagnosed with blood tumor in the domestic higher-level general hospitals and revisited or rehospitalized for next anti-cancer chemotherapy or follow-up in P University Hospital in B City after once more anti-cancer chemotherapy. Data were collected from July 21st to September 26th, 2014, using questionnaire for knowledge and compliance about permission and limitation of food ingestion based on dietary guideline used in dietitian''s team in P University Hospital and the instrument by Jeon Ok Kyung et al.(2010). Collected data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson''s correlation, Scheffe by using SPSS 21.0 program.

Results: 1. The average correct answer ratio of neutropenic diet (N.D) was 60.9% and mean of compliance was 69.5. Both correct answer ratio and mean of compliance about limitations(62.2%, 86.0) higher than that of permissions(59.6%, 53.9). 2. It showed positive correlation between knowledge and compliance of N.D.(r=.531, p〈.001). 3. Knowledge showed higher significant differences as educational level was higher(t=4.321, p=.015) and patients had dietary education before(t=5.091, p<.001). And in case of Myelodysplastic Syndrome, it was significantly lower than patients with other diseases(t=3.477, p=.018). In compliance as patients were younger(t=4.525, p=.013), had a spouse(t=2.459, p=.015), were employed(t=2.802, p=.043) and others prepared meals for the patients(t=-2.235, p=.029), as their time to increase diet amount was late(t=2.802, p=.043) and had dietary education before (t=2.528, p=.013), it showed higher significance. In characteristics related to diseases, albumin level and %IBW did not show significant difference in both knowledge and compliance.

Conclusion: For preventing infection, patients with anti-cancer chemotherapy limit neutropenic diets more strictly by themselves. So in order to improve neutropenic diet of patients, the education to provide more accurate knowledge about permission questions as well as limitation ones are required.