Low supplies of cancer drugs pose a common obstacle to oncology care, yet few Americans are aware of these shortages, according to a study published in Cancer.
For the study, researchers polled a nationally representative group of 420 respondents on cancer drug shortages in 2016. Gregory Abel, MD, MPH, and Zachary Frosch, MD, physicians affiliated with Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, spearheaded the research.
Here are four study findings.
1. Sixteen percent of respondents said they were aware of drug shortages. Individuals with a personal history of cancer were more likely to be aware of shortages (31 percent versus 14 percent).
2. Most respondents wanted to be informed about a medication substitution due to a shortage. Eighty-seven percent and 82 percent wanted to know about major or minor differences in the drugs' efficacy, respectively.
3. A majority (72 percent) of respondents said they would transfer care to avoid a substitution with major efficacy differences, and 61 percent would transfer for major differences in side effects.
4. Black, uninsured, unemployed, low-income and less-educated individuals were not as likely to transfer care to avoid major differences in drug efficacy.
"It can be stressful for patients with cancer to learn that their care may be impacted by drug shortages, but it's important for oncologists to engage patients in these discussions," said Dr. Frosch. "Our data suggest that people expect disclosure of shortages as part of the caregiving process."