Cancer centers in the US are facing shortages of life-saving drugs, survey finds

America’s cancer treatment centers are continuing to face a years-long cancer drug shortage with implications for patient care, a new survey of more than 30 academic facilities reveals.

All of the centers included in the survey report experiencing a shortage for at least one anti-cancer therapy and more than 20 percent of centers are currently in shortage for five or more different medications.

The drugs treat some of the top-killing cancers, including testicular, bladder, uterine, ovarian, lung and breast cancer.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., with the American Cancer Society projecting more than 626,000 deaths this year.

"It is disheartening that we remain in the same situation, including recurring or continued shortages of some drugs, despite years of raising the alarm," Dr. Crystal Denlinger, CEO of the non-profit National Comprehensive Cancer Network, said in a statement.

While care centers have developed strategies for keeping patient care and clinical trials on track, the shortages takes time and attention from treatment and adds stress to an already burdened system, she noted.

Some of the drugs most affected include ovarian cancer-fighting carboplatin, lung cancer-treating ifosfamide and bladder cancer-targeting cisplatin - though the drugs also work to treat other cancer types.

Some 94 percent of centers noted a shortage of multi-use ifosfamide, 71 percent had a shortage of carboplatin and 16 percent reported a shortage of cisplatin.

The bladder cancer immunotherapy Bacillus Calmette-Guérin was also in short supply for more than half of the respondents, the non-profit noted.

To deal with the shortages, 61 percent of the centers said they required mitigation strategies to keep their patients on recommended doses.

But 90 percent of centers also said there was a need to obtain multiple authorizations from health insurance companies, which added to the work and potential delay in care for each patient.

The non-profit has identified multiple solutions that could combat these shortages, including updating federal drug production policy to improve the stability of supply and incentivizing domestic drug manufacturing.

New vaccines to treat cancer could also help address the shortage and personalize treatments, researchers say.

Legislation has been introduced to address the issue, though the bills have yet to pass.

The Trump administration told The New York Times in June that the Department of Health and Human Services was working to alleviate the shortages and considering temporarily allowing imports of medications from companies that do not typically send supplies to the U.S.

The Independent has reached out to HHS for comment.

While cancer rates have dipped in the U.S. in recent years, obesity rates are expected to rise and obesity is a risk factor for developing the disease.

Environmental pollution, drinking alcohol, smoking and genetic history also contribute to cases.