First, their shipments of carboplatin typically used to treat breast, ovarian and many other cancers have been delayed. They were able to switch some patients to cisplatin, another platinum-based drug that is just as effective but may have more side effects. Hence, their cisplatin shipments stopped arriving on time. To hold dwindling supplies longer, doctors have begun rounding patient doses up to 10 percent within professional guidelines and have begun preparing for the need to take more drastic action if shortages persist. It’s part of a nationwide shortage of more…
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US doctors forced to ration as cancer drug shortages hit nationwide
Toni Dezomits had to change her ovarian cancer treatment plan due to a shortage of chemotherapy drugs Toni Dezomits, a 55-year-old retired law enforcement officer, is battling a recurrence of her stage 4 ovarian cancer. She had already undergone several rounds of chemotherapy when her doctor told her he had more bad news. Just a day before her third round of treatment last month, Ms. Dezomits was told there was a nationwide shortage of the generic chemotherapy drug, carboplatin, one of three drugs she was due to receive. Forced to…
Read MoreCancer patients are facing widespread shortages of chemotherapy drugs
Comment on this storyComment Cancer patients and their doctors are grappling with a record shortage of effective chemotherapy, putting their treatments and their lives at risk. Most are cheap generic drugs that have been used in cancer medicine for decades, says Satyajit Kosuri, clinical director of the stem cell transplant and cell therapy program at the University of Chicago, who has experienced the consequences firsthand. At the end of last year, there were 295 active drug shortages, ranging from antibiotics and anesthetics to cardiac mediations and chemotherapy drugs, according to…
Read MoreShortages of cancer drugs in the United States are forcing doctors to ration life-saving treatments
A critical shortage of cancer therapies is forcing thousands of patients to lose life-saving treatments, several major health organizations have warned. There are 14 cancer drugs listed in shortage by US regulators, including the generic chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, which are first-line treatments for many common types of cancer. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said hospitals were already rationing some drugs and doctors were being forced to make difficult decisions about delaying chemotherapy treatment or using replacement medicines, which may not be…
Read MoreWomen have been urged to seek out alternative HRT drugs as pharmacists warn of shortages
Women who are unable to get their usual hormone replacement therapy (HRT) due to shortage shouldn’t worry about switching to products that aren’t in short supply, top menopause doctors advised. Demand for a HRT drug, Utrogestan 100 mg, has doubled in the past 12 months and increased fivefold since March 2021, according to manufacturer Besins. The surge has led to stock shortages in some areas, and the government last month enacted a severe shortage protocol that restricts pharmacists from prescribing capsules for no more than two months. The British Menopause…
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