Amid severe cancer drug shortages in the US; will new research help?

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jun 2023 13:23

American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) CEO Ruth Hoffman warns that severe cancer drug shortages in the US can cause therapy delays and worse outcomes in curing a number of common cancers.

Oral chemotherapy tablet Capecitabine (AFP via Getty Images)

American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) CEO Ruth Hoffman said as quoted by Sputnik that the Biden administration and lawmakers may hopefully use information acquired on the severe medicine shortages cancer patients in the US are experiencing to address the crisis.

"Yes, there are major drug shortages happening in the US. In particular, cisplatin and carboplatin are in short supply," Hoffman said.

Additionally, she mentioned that these drugs are used to treat adult cancer patients who have alternate treatment protocols created to accommodate the drug shortage.

Hoffman underlined that the survey is being conducted by the ACCO in collaboration with the Alliance for Childhood Cancer (ACC) and other organizations to highlight the effects of the shortage on pediatric patients.

Shockingly, a scarcity or unavailability of medicine necessary for treating their child's cancer throughout treatment was mentioned by over half of the 170 families who have so far replied to the survey.

"Some families indicated that they experienced a shortage of vincristine. Approximately 27% of respondents indicated that their child experienced a treatment delay due to the unavailability of a drug during the course of treatment," Hoffman added.

Co-chair of the Alliance for Childhood Cancer Sarah Milberg said as quoted by Sputnik that the survey’s organizers plan to submit its results to the US authorities.

"Our hope is to use this information to work with policymakers in Congress and the Administration on solutions to address cancer drug shortages," Milberg said.

American Cancer Society (ACS) and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) CEO Karen Knudsen said in a statement that chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer have topped the drug shortages list, Sputnik reported.

"The shortage of certain cancer drugs has become a serious and life-threatening issue for cancer patients across the country," Knudsen said, stressing that some medications do not have a functional alternative.

Hoffman issued a warning that this situation can cause therapy delays and worse outcomes in curing a number of common cancers most notably triple-negative breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and leukemia.