Dr. Alan Tan on Ongoing Cisplatin, Carboplatin Shortages Affecting Prostate Cancer Care

Alan Tan, MD, director of GU Medical Oncology and an assistant professor at RUSH Medical College, discusses the ongoing shortages of cisplatin and carboplatin supplies and how genitourinary oncology professionals and patients have been affected.

Cancer drug shortages have been an issue over the past decade and often occur in cycles. Cisplatin and carboplatin are widely used for the treatment of prostate cancer, and the shortages have led medical professionals to seek out alternative treatments. The shortages have been recognized as a public health emergency, and the US Food and Drug Administration is considering allowing the temporary use of drugs from outside of the United States to alleviate the ongoing issue.