Cancer Drug Supply Running Extremely Low

Ever wonder if the world ran out of a drug we have become reliant on? Motrin? Advil? Well, right now the United States is running extremely low on preservative-free methotrexate, a drug that treats acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a form of cancer that strikes children ages 2 to 5. Our country is running so low, that our supplies could possibly run out within the next two weeks. Can you imagine being one of those families that needs this drug for their child? There are at least hundreds of families that have come to need this drug in order for their children to survive. Now, the supply is depleting and what are they supposed to do without the drug? We currently have the four remaining suppliers of preservative-free methotrexate that are trying to increase production and we may even have to appeal to a foreign supplier. However, even more interesting was that there are currently at least 180 drugs that are imperative to treating childhood leukemia, colon cancer, breast cancer, and other diseases. At least 180 drugs! Honestly, I think after reading this article that the United States should be making this a top priority of increasing the supplies of these important treatments.

The author of "Supply of a Cancer Drug May Run Out Within Weeks", Gardiner Harris utilizes a lot of logos, pathos, and understandable diction to appeal to the audience. The logos Harris uses is when he quotes relevant people on the issue, including Valerie Jensen, associate director of FDA's drug shortages program, Dr. Michael P. Link, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Erin Fox, from drug information service at the University of Utah. The pathos Harris uses is the personal story of Jackson Schwartz, age 6 who is diagnosed with A.L.L. and his dad. This appeal allows the audience to have an emotional insight of what it would be like to be one of the families that needs this drug. The understandable diction Harris writes with is the explanations of what A.L.L. and preservative-free methotrexate are in a way that is comprehendable for most audiences. I really hope that the United States can find a way to get production back on track for this drug that helps cure a form of childhood leukemia.

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Source: Harris, Gardiner. "Supply of a Cancer Drug May Run Out Within Weeks." The New York Times 10 Feb. 2012, sec. Health: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.