Families concerned about shortage of drug used to treat childhood cancer
RALEIGH, NC (WNCN) — A shortage of a drug used to treat childhood cancer is leaving families across the country and in the Triangle frustrated and worried.
Mason Fannin, 7, loves to draw and play with his sister and brother when he’s not enduring chemotherapy to treat his leukemia. Almost every week, he receives a drug called Vincristine at UNC Children’s Hospital.
“There is no replacement for it. These kids have to have Vincristine — it’s not optional,” said Mason’s mom Ashley Fannin, a pediatric oncology nurse.
There’s a nationwide shortage after one of the two companies that made Vincristine, stopped producing it.
“I feel like we are already going through so much just having a child with cancer. And to be told there may not be the drugs he needs to treat that cancer it’s not okay,” said Fannin.
A statement from UNC Health Care reads, in part, “Our oncologists, pharmacists and other clinical experts are working closely with patients to minimize any potential impact, and adjusting individual treatment plans when needed. UNC Hospitals are working together to cover temporary shortages of the drug…”
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