Cisplatin, an essential cancer drug, faced severe global shortages in 2023. Scientists analyzed the cost difference between platinum-based drug containing regimens and the recommended alternative regimens for head and neck, small cell lung, and urothelial cancers, and found that the average cost increase when substituting alternative regimens was $46,943 per patient across tumor types.
| Head and neck Induction chemotherapy | $2.89K | $372.09K |
|---|---|---|
| Head and neck Potentially curative +/- concurrent radiation | $33.74K | |
| Small cell lung cancer Limited-stage | $83.74K | $86.8K |
| Small cell lung cancer Recurrent | $495 | $100K |
| Urothelial cancer Adjuvant Therapy | $27.05K | $132.08K |
| Urothelial cancer First-Line (Stage IV) (cisplatin eligible) | $195.96K | $391.13K |
| Urothelial cancer First-Line (Stage IV) (cisplatin ineligible) | $465.59K | |
| Urothelial cancer Neoadjuvant | $27.05K | |
| Urothelial cancer Second-Line (Stage IV) | $746.53K |