With Storms Disrupting Treatment for Breast Cancer Patients, Rutgers Researchers Aim to Develop More Resilient and Actionable Approaches

New study will examine impact of severe weather on vulnerable populations and identify strategies to strengthen resiliency

With the frequency and severity of major storms increasing due to global climate change, Rutgers Health researchers are assessing the impact of such weather events on persons with history of breast cancer, including the disruption of cancer treatment and the short-and-long-term adverse health effects.

Of note, approximately 8,000 New Jersey residents are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, receive treatment – whether surgical resection, radiation therapy, and/or chemo-, immuno-, or endocrine therapy – and then have further surveillance to assess for breast cancer progression, recurrence, or new second cancer.

Made possible through a $1,246,090 grant from the National Cancer Institute, the study will run for five years and examine the impact of severe, billion-dollar storms on the care and outcomes of persons with breast cancer, as well as the impact of types of cancer treatments disrupted, comorbidities, socio-economic status, and geographic factors.

“Severe weather events are an issue of increasing concern, and we’re focusing on the types of events that can impact populations vulnerable to disruptions in care,” said the study’s leader, Benjamin Bates, who’s an instructor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Rutgers School of Public Health. “Disruption of timely cancer treatment can be particularly serious, so we’re closely examining how communities and health care systems can become more resilient.”

While patients with a variety of chronic conditions – including end stage renal disease, cardiac issues, and mental health disorders – may be at risk from a major weather event, breast cancer was selected as this study’s focus because it’s a diverse disease, affects one in eight women in the United States, and generally responds well to timely, appropriate treatment.

The storms being assessed in the study are specifically those severe enough to cause $1 billion in damage. According to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there have been nearly 200 billion-dollar storms since 2000 with the median cost per storm being approximately $2 billion.

The study’s overall goals are to identify the types of disruptions most likely to have a negative impact on the treatment and health outcomes of people with breast cancer; gather input from experts across the country to determine what’s currently being done and areas for improvement; and then develop and prioritize strategies to reduce the adverse health impacts of these severe storms on persons with history of cancer.

While researchers are considering how major storms affect all patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer, they also seek to determine who may be most at risk. This may include the types of cancer treatments being received, the cancer stage or type of mutation(s), comorbidities, or residential risk factors.

“In large part, our research is focused on communities and their health systems,” said Bates, who also is a member of the Rutgers Institute for Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Care Center together with RWJBarnabas Health. “The more we understand who is most at risk and how they are impacted, the more effective we will be at warning patients in advance and having contingency plans ready for implementation.”