Drug Shortage Complicates Childhood Cancer Fight in Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo, Mexico — A severe shortage of cancer medications in Quintana Roo is forcing families of children and adolescents with cancer to seek expensive alternatives to continue treatment, according to the nonprofit Fundación Aitana A.C., which provides comprehensive support to oncology patients in the state.

Yoselin Vera, the foundation’s administrative director, said that although the organization is not part of the public health system, its workload has intensified due to the lack of medicines in hospitals. “Often the most urgent need is precisely to obtain a medication that is not available,” she said.

Vera explained that the cost of a single treatment can reach up to 1 million pesos (about $50,000) per year, and can extend for three years in cases of leukemia, the most common cancer among the children they serve. This financial burden is compounded by additional expenses for tests, transportation, and specialized care.

The foundation serves patients from newborns to age 21, without conducting socioeconomic studies, on the principle that any family facing this disease needs support. In addition to providing medication when necessary, the organization offers temporary shelter, emotional care, and grief counseling.

Over the past year, the foundation also supported 12 families who lost their children, covering funeral costs and providing ongoing emotional support — a reflection of the complexity surrounding the disease.

Despite the challenges, the organization reports encouraging outcomes: in 2025 alone, 18 patients completed their treatment and 12 advanced to the survival stage. Currently, between 75 and 80 survivors are registered, a figure that contrasts with the obstacles posed by the drug shortage.

The foundation called on authorities to guarantee the supply of oncology drugs and urged the public to support these causes, stressing that timely care can make the difference between life and death.