Cancer Treatment Disrupted by $15 Drug Shortage.

The shortage of highly potent cancer drugs, including cisplatin and carboplatin, is forcing doctors to prioritize patients with the best chance of survival, leaving thousands of others to face delays in treatment and potentially bleaker futures. The alternatives to these drugs are far less effective in treating certain cancers and are sometimes more toxic. The shortage is expected to last through the fall or later, and there are few signs of relief. The American Society of Clinical Oncology is advising doctors to administer the drugs to patients with a shot at a cure and to deny them to patients with recurrent or widely spread disease.