'More stressful than cancer': Treatment Experiences Lived During Hurricane Maria among Breast and Colorectal Cancer Patients in Puerto Rico

Vivian Colón-López; Yara Sánchez-Cabrera; Marievelisse Soto-Salgado; Karen J Ortiz-Ortiz; Troy Quast; María E Fernández

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2689228/v1

'More stressful than cancer': Treatment Experiences Lived During Hurricane Maria among Breast and Colorectal Cancer Patients in Puerto Rico

Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Apr 3:rs.3.rs-2689228. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2689228/v1.

Authors

Vivian Colón-López¹, Yara Sánchez-Cabrera², Marievelisse Soto-Salgado¹, Karen J Ortiz-Ortiz¹, Troy Quast³, María E Fernández⁴

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Control and Population Sciences Division, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Juan.
² University of Puerto Rico/MD Anderson Cancer Center Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research, San Juan.
³ University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, FL.
⁴ Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX.

Abstract

Background: This study explored experiences in cancer care and disruption after Hurricanes Irma and Maria's aftermath in Puerto Rico (PR).

Methods: A total of three focus groups were conducted among breast and colorectal cancer patients diagnosed six months before the disaster.

Results: The most prevalent themes were (a) barriers related to their cancer treatment, (b) facilitators related to their cancer treatment, and (c) treatment experiences during the hurricane. Participants discussed struggles regarding their experience with treatment and access to care during and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and how household limitations due to lack of electricity and water deter their intention to continue their treatment. Moreover, stressors directly linked with the disaster were the most challenging to cope with.

Conclusions: Our study identifies the hardships experienced by cancer patients living during a disaster. Similarly, our study highlights the impending need to address in future emergency plans the individual and system needs of cancer patients in active treatment to minimize the delay in continuing cancer care.

Keywords: Cancer care during hurricane; breast cancer patients; colorectal cancer patients.

Publication types

Preprint

Grants and funding

The project described was supported by the National Cancer Institute/National Institute of Health (NCI/NIH) grant number (NCI) 5R21CA239456-02 for the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Puerto Rico, by a federal grant from the National Program of Cancer Registries (Grant # 6 NU58DP006318) to the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry (PRCCR) at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UPRCCC), and by The Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research grant support (Award Number U54GM133807 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and 2U54MD007587 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.