ArticleCancer2025
Evaluating the impact of hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer incidence in Puerto Rico: An interrupted time-series analysis.
Article in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Patterns of Multimorbidity among Older Adults with Colorectal Cancer Living in Puerto Rico.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2026Article
- Impacts of Hurricane-Related Flooding on Time to Initial Cancer-Directed Treatment in North Carolina.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2026Observational
- Survey on changes in colorectal cancer screening participation at Minamisoma city after the Great East Japan earthquake using clustering analysis.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Potential Exposure to Environmental Toxic Emissions and Increased Cancer Risk in Puerto Rico.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2025Article
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7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMajor events, such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted Puerto Rico's health system. Lack of access to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening services may have impeded timely diagnosis. The authors examined the impact of these events on CRC incidence in Puerto Rico.
methodsThe Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry database allowed the authors to obtain CRC cases from 2012 to 2021. An interrupted time-series analysis was performed to examine changes in CRC incidence immediately after and during the periods after the hurricanes and the pandemic. Analysis periods included: pre-hurricanes, post-hurricanes, and post-COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
resultsWe observed a level change of -8.3 CRC cases was observed in the month the hurricanes struck Puerto Rico, corresponding to an immediate decrease of 17.5%. After a slight upward trend, a second decline of 39.4 CRC cases was estimated after the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, representing an immediate change of -24.2%. By the end of the study, the estimated numbers of patients with early stage CRC patients and those aged 50-75 years did not reach the expected numbers. In addition, CRC cases in patients with late-stage disease and in those aged younger than 50 years and aged 76 years and older exceeded the expected numbers.
conclusionsHurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic caused a decrease in CRC incidence in Puerto Rico. This analysis suggests that limited access to CRC screening services during these events likely hindered CRC diagnoses. To fully understand the long-term effects, monitoring of CRC trends will be necessary in the coming years.
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