ArticleBMJ global health2020
Shortages and price variability of essential cytotoxic medicines for treating children with cancers.
Article in BMJ global health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Global, regional and national availability of essential medicines for children, 2009-2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Physicochemical quality assessment of four asparaginases.PloS one · 2025Article
- Medicine availability and affordability for paediatric cancers, China.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2025Article
- Trends and disparity in the provision and consumption of essential medicines in China from 2016 to 2021: institutional, regional, and economic variations.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Ensuring continuous access to pediatric cancer medications: insights from Brazil and East Africa.Translational pediatrics · 2024Article
- Variations in global prices of chemotherapy for childhood cancer: a descriptive analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Article
- Cascade Analysis for Women Presenting With Breast Concerns to a Zonal Hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania.JCO global oncology · 2023Article
- Access to and Affordability of World Health Organization Essential Medicines for Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: Examples from Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.The oncologist · 2022Article
- Defining Essential Childhood Cancer Medicines to Inform Prioritization and Access: Results From an International, Cross-Sectional Survey.JCO global oncology · 2022Article
- Accessibility of essential anticancer medicines for children in the Sichuan Province of China.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- The Global Incidence, Mortality, and Burden of Breast Cancer in 2019: Correlation With Smoking, Drinking, and Drug Use.Frontiers in oncology · 2022Article
- Burden of 33 malignant tumor groups in 5 socio-demographic index areas and 21 regions from 1990 to 2041.Science progressArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionLow-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face the largest burden of mortality from childhood cancers with limited access to curative therapies. Few comparative analyses across all income groups and world regions have examined the availability and acquisition costs of essential medicines for treating cancers in children.
methodsA cross-sectional survey involved countries in five income groups-low-income (LIC), lower-middle-income (LMC), upper-middle-income (UMC), two high-income country groups (HIC1, HIC2). Physicians and pharmacists reported institutional use, availability, stock outs and prices (brand and generic products) of 34 essential medicines. Price comparisons used US$, applying foreign exchange rates (XR) and purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustments. Medicine costs for treating acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and Wilms tumour (WT) were calculated (child 29 kg, body surface area 1 m
resultsFifty-eight respondents (50 countries) provided information on medicine use, availability and stock outs, with usable price data from 42 facilities (37 countries). The extent of use of International Society of Paediatric Oncology core and ancillary medicines varied across income groups (p<0.0001 and p=0.0002 respectively). LMC and LIC facilities used fewer medicines than UMC and HIC facilities. UMC and LMC facilities were more likely to report medicines not available or stockouts.Medicine prices varied widely within and between income bands; generic products were not always cheaper than brand equivalents. PPP adjustment showed relatively higher prices in UMC and LMC facilities for some medicines. Medicine costs were highest in HICs for ALL (p=0.0075 XR; p=0.0178 PPP-adjusted analyses) and WT (p =<0.0001 XR; p=0.0007 PPP-adjusted). Medicine costs for BL were not significantly different.
conclusionProblems with the availability of essential medicines, dependable supply chains, confidential medicine prices and wide variability in treatment costs contribute to persistent challenges in the care of children with treatable cancers, especially in LMICs.
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