Scrambling for cancer drugs

This week, McCarthy received Doxil at Mass. General. But with the manufacturer writing letters to physicians warning that the drug will be intermittently available in the months ahead, McCarthy doesn’t know what to expect. “And my life depends on it,’’ she said. “It never occurred to me in the course of treating my cancer, I was going to deal with a lack of supply.’’

Drug shortages have been on the rise in recent years, affecting everything from antibiotics to anesthesia drugs, for reasons that range from manufacturing problems to companies discontinuing a medication. But shortages are particularly harrowing with cancer drugs, when time is of the essence and substitutes aren’t always available.

More than a dozen cancer drugs are now in short supply, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, creating a situation that doctors at local hospitals say is unprecedented, and worsening. A drug used to treat testicular cancer is scarce; earlier this year, a leukemia drug was affected. And some of the drugs used to treat pediatric cancers, many of which are curable, are in short supply.

“To not have these drugs available is unconscionable; we literally cannot treat cancers we know are not just treatable but curable,’’ said Dr. Michael Link, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

According to the FDA, there were 178 drug shortages in 2010, three-quarters of which were sterile injectables, which include chemotherapy infusions. Already this year, there have been 180 drug shortages.

Jouhayna Saliba, senior regulatory program manager at the FDA’s Drug Shortage Program , said that about half of the shortages last year were spurred by manufacturing quality problems. Generally, she said, a small number of firms make oncology drugs, so if one company has an issue it can be difficult for another manufacturer to step in and meet the demand.

“We agree these are critical shortages that are occurring, and they have significant patient impact… . We encourage manufacturers to report any problem that could lead to shortages,’’ Saliba said.