Climate Change and Cancer

Climate change impacts each step of the cancer control continuum, from cancer prevention to survivorship care. First, climate change alters the frequency and behavior of extreme weather events making it harder for communities to prepare and respond to increasingly unpredictable circumstances. Climate-driven extreme weather events can damage medical infrastructure, disrupt transportation (of patients, medical supplies, and personnel) and lead to disruptions in access to cancer treatment. Second, due to the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences of cancer diagnosis and treatment, an especially vulnerable population to the hazards of climate change. Finally, our continuous reliance on fossil fuels is a shared cause of climate change and increased exposure to carcinogens. The same air pollution that is driving the greenhouse effect also increases lung cancer risk, and several different carcinogens are released in surrounding communities during fossil fuel extraction, processing, transportation, and waste management. Understanding the connections between climate change and cancer is important for inform solutions that address both environmental and public health.