Latest news with #cancerPatients
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pharmacists warn drug shortage affecting cancer patients
Pharmacists have warned that "one of the worst" examples of medicine shortages is affecting cancer patients. Creon, a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert), helps digestion and is required by patients with pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis. It is thought more than 61,000 patients in the UK need the medicine. Some patients are said to be "skipping meals" to ration their medication due to a shortage of it, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said there were "European-wide supply issues" and it was "working closely with industry and the NHS" to mitigate the impact on patients. Without the drug, patients lose weight and strength, which means their ability to cope with treatment such as chemotherapy is reduced. Some experts have predicted shortages continuing until next year. The Department of Health and Social Care has extended a serious shortage protocol for Creon which has already been in place for a year. This indicates concern about shortages of a medicine and allows pharmacists to give patients an alternative - though they argue other drugs are also in short supply. A spokesperson for the department said the "European-wide supply issues" were caused by manufacturing supply constraints. The National Pharmacy Association said more than three quarters of members covered in a recent survey felt the current arrangements for managing the shortages were inadequate. Some reported that patients were skipping meals and travelling long distances to get hold of the medication, according to the NPA. One said it was the "worst stock shortage" they had ever had to deal with. BBC News highlighted the issue in February after a woman got in touch saying it was impossible for her husband, who has pancreatic cancer, to digest his food without Creon. That month, leading pancreatic clinicians and charities wrote to the prime minister, saying the absence of Pert can have a "devastating impact on people's lives". They called for a national strategy to tackle the shortage. Alice from Birmingham was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023 and initially got 15 boxes of Creon capsules every month to help her tolerate chemotherapy. She can now get only six or seven and is having to skip snacks. The 64-year-old said the shortage had profoundly affected her mental health. She told the BBC: "Each day I'm trying to balance: what shall I eat, shall I have a more substantial meal, shall I take my supplements and that creates an extra layer of stress and worry whilst I'm trying to put my life together again after having this diagnosis." Alfie Bailey-Bearfield of Pancreatic Cancer UK said the charity had been raising concerns with the government and suppliers for more than a year and it was vital that officials intervened to try to boost supply. "Thousands of people affected by pancreatic cancer rely on taking Pert tablets every time they eat simply to digest their food and absorb nutrients – something most of us take for granted," he said. "It's totally unacceptable that they are still taking desperate measures which puts their health, wellbeing and their eligibility for treatment at risk," he added. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association said it was very difficult for her members to obtain supplies from the wholesaler. "The shortages with Creon has been ongoing for so long and it seems no effective attempts are being made by officials to make the process easier for pharmacies and patients and to put robust plans in place to prioritise the availability of this product," she said. "Instead they continue prolonging the current processes." A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it knew "how frustrating and distressing" medicine supply issues can be for patients and clinicians caring for them. They added: "The European-wide supply issues with Creon are caused by a limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints. "We are working closely with industry and the NHS to mitigate the impact on patients and resolve the issues as quickly as possible." Cancer patients 'may starve' without vital drug
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Pharmacists warn drug shortage affecting cancer patients
Pharmacists have warned that "one of the worst" examples of medicine shortages is affecting cancer a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert), helps digestion and is required by patients with pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis. It is thought more than 61,000 patients in the UK need the patients are said to be "skipping meals" to ration their medication due to a shortage of it, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said there were "European-wide supply issues" and it was "working closely with industry and the NHS" to mitigate the impact on patients. Without the drug, patients lose weight and strength, which means their ability to cope with treatment such as chemotherapy is experts have predicted shortages continuing until next Department of Health and Social Care has extended a serious shortage protocol for Creon which has already been in place for a year. This indicates concern about shortages of a medicine and allows pharmacists to give patients an alternative - though they argue other drugs are also in short supply.A spokesperson for the department said the "European-wide supply issues" were caused by manufacturing supply constraints. 'Extra layer of stress' The National Pharmacy Association said more than three quarters of members covered in a recent survey felt the current arrangements for managing the shortages were inadequate. Some reported that patients were skipping meals and travelling long distances to get hold of the medication, according to the said it was the "worst stock shortage" they had ever had to deal News highlighted the issue in February after a woman got in touch saying it was impossible for her husband, who has pancreatic cancer, to digest his food without Creon. That month, leading pancreatic clinicians and charities wrote to the prime minister, saying the absence of Pert can have a "devastating impact on people's lives".They called for a national strategy to tackle the from Birmingham was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023 and initially got 15 boxes of Creon capsules every month to help her tolerate chemotherapy. She can now get only six or seven and is having to skip snacks. The 64-year-old said the shortage had profoundly affected her mental health. She told the BBC: "Each day I'm trying to balance: what shall I eat, shall I have a more substantial meal, shall I take my supplements and that creates an extra layer of stress and worry whilst I'm trying to put my life together again after having this diagnosis." 'Taking desperate measures' Alfie Bailey-Bearfield of Pancreatic Cancer UK said the charity had been raising concerns with the government and suppliers for more than a year and it was vital that officials intervened to try to boost supply."Thousands of people affected by pancreatic cancer rely on taking Pert tablets every time they eat simply to digest their food and absorb nutrients – something most of us take for granted," he said."It's totally unacceptable that they are still taking desperate measures which puts their health, wellbeing and their eligibility for treatment at risk," he Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association said it was very difficult for her members to obtain supplies from the wholesaler."The shortages with Creon has been ongoing for so long and it seems no effective attempts are being made by officials to make the process easier for pharmacies and patients and to put robust plans in place to prioritise the availability of this product," she said."Instead they continue prolonging the current processes."A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it knew "how frustrating and distressing" medicine supply issues can be for patients and clinicians caring for added: "The European-wide supply issues with Creon are caused by a limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints."We are working closely with industry and the NHS to mitigate the impact on patients and resolve the issues as quickly as possible."
Medscape
20-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Comorbidities Tied to Emergency CRC Diagnoses
A substantial proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases were diagnosed through emergency presentations, with increased odds observed among patients younger than 50 years or aged 80 years or older, those with a lower socioeconomic status, individuals who were widowed, and those with three or more comorbidities. METHODOLOGY: Emergency diagnoses of cancer are associated with poorer survival rates. Given that socioeconomic status and comorbidities can influence diagnostic pathways, evaluating these factors is vital for improving care. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from an Italian cancer registry linked to administrative health databases to examine how comorbidities and socioeconomic status affect CRC diagnostic routes; cases were diagnosed between July 2014 and December 2020. Three mutually exclusive diagnostic routes were examined: Screening, emergency presentation, and inpatient or outpatient visits. Researchers also assessed cancer stage at diagnosis and short-term mortality. TAKEAWAY: Researchers included 14,457 patients diagnosed with CRC (74.4% with colon cancer and 25.6% with rectal cancer). D iagnostic routes were reconstructed for 97.8% of patients with colon cancer (median age, 73.1 years; 47.1% women) and 98.1% of those with rectal cancer (median age, 70.3 years; 42.8% women). Among colon cancer cases, 35.6% were diagnosed via emergency presentation, 8.4% via screening, and 22.6% during inpatient/outpatient visits. For rectal cancer, the corresponding rates were 22.6%, 9.5%, and 67.8%, respectively. Emergency diagnosis of colon cancer was more likely among patients younger than 50 years or aged 80 years or older, those in the highest deprivation socioeconomic index quintile, single or widowed individuals (vs married), and those with three or more comorbidities (vs none). Conversely, patients with three or more comorbidities were less likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer through screening than during inpatient/outpatient visits. For both colon and rectal cancers, diagnosis through emergency presentations was associated with significantly higher 30-day and 1-year mortalities than diagnosis through inpatient/outpatient visits ( P < .001 for all). IN PRACTICE: 'Tailored interventions are needed to facilitate screening, to reduce emergency cancer diagnoses, and to improve outcomes for a large number of patients with chronic conditions,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Flavia Pennisi, MD, School of Medicine, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. It was published online in JAMA Network Open . LIMITATIONS: The lack of individual-level electronic health records limited access to symptom data at diagnosis, hindering the ability to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. This study focused on observed associations rather than causal relationships. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by a grant and an award from Early Detection and Diagnosis Committee from Cancer Research UK. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
Arab News
15-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Major Palestinian hospital in Gaza out of service due to Israeli attacks
LONDON: A major Palestinian hospital in the southern Gaza announced it was out of service on Thursday after Israeli attacks damaged its facilities. The Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis has sustained extensive damage due to Israeli bombings, impacting the building's sewage network and internal medical departments, and destroying the roads that lead to it. The hospital has 28 intensive care beds, 12 incubators, 260 hospital beds, 25 emergency beds and 60 oncology beds; however, all are out of service, Wafa news agency reported. The Gaza European Hospital is the only remaining facility providing medical follow-up for cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, after Israeli forces destroyed the Turkish Friendship Hospital in March. Medical sources told Wafa that the hospital can no longer provide specialized services such as neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, a cardiac catheterization center, cardiovascular surgery and ophthalmology. Intensive care units for premature infants in the hospital lack incubators, respirators and oxygen supplies, and are at risk of complete shutdown due to a severe diesel shortage to operate power generators. The hospital warned that premature infants in incubators are at risk of malnutrition, medical complications and even death, Wafa reported. The hospital urged humanitarian and health organizations to urgently provide essential medical supplies, fuel, power generators and nutritional support. Since March, Israel has prohibited the entry of humanitarian aid and relief into the Gaza Strip as it resumed military actions in the area. Reports indicate that 57 children have died from malnutrition-related causes since then. Additionally, UN-backed food security experts have warned that hunger and malnutrition have sharply intensified since the onset of the Israeli aid relief blockade in March.
