Climate change is fueling extreme weather that lowers cancer survival rate and threatens prevention

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/18/climate-change-fuels-extreme-weather-that-lowers-cancer-survival-rate.html

Emma Newburger
Published Mon, May 18 20206:00 AM EDTUpdated Mon, May 18 20207:34 AM EDT

Key Points

Climate change has triggered more frequent weather disasters like hurricanes and wildfires that release deadly carcinogens into communities and delay access to cancer treatment.

When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2018 it shut down several factories that provided live-saving IV fluid bags to U.S. hospitals, causing shortages in cancer facilities nationwide.

“Climate change is not a future threat. It is impacting cancer outcomes today,” said Leticia Nogueira, a scientist at the American Cancer Society.

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