Climate Change and Cancer

Climate change presents threats to each step of the cancer control continuum, from cancer prevention to survivorship. First, human activities contributing to climate change can increase risk of exposure to carcinogens (e.g. air pollution from vehicle emissions, water contamination near oil and gas extraction sites). Second, climate change alters the frequency and behavior of extreme weather events, making it harder for communities to prepare and respond to increasingly unpredictable disaster scenarios. Climate-driven extreme weather events can disrupt access to cancer treatment and expose residents of impacted communities to high levels of carcinogens (e.g., chemical plants in Hurricane Harvey’s path, water contamination after Maui wildfires). Third, the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences of cancer diagnosis and treatment can increase vulnerability to climate hazards. Importantly, emissions from the healthcare system add to the climate crisis. Here we present a series of articles explaining the impacts of climate change on cancer control and identifying opportunities to improve climate mitigation and adaptation efforts while reducing the cancer burden in the population.