Abstract 3818: Climate stressors and oncology care: awareness of healthcare professionals in Puerto Rico

Abstract Introduction: Climate change affects oncology care and health outcomes of cancer patients. Island communities are particularly vulnerable to these climate-related hazards and healthcare disruptions. Oncology healthcare professionals (OHP) are called to participate in climate change education and adaptation efforts actively. We investigate the awareness of OHP in Puerto Rico regarding the impact of climate change on oncology care. Methodology: This ongoing cross-sectional study is recruiting adult OHPs. The “Global Survey of the Effects of Climate Change on Oncology Care” was translated into Spanish and is being administered as a data collection instrument. OHP are being recruited online using a quick-response (QR) code, social media, and through in-person activities, including oncology medical and nursing annual meetings. Descriptive statistics are used to define the study population. From Aug-Nov 2024, 178 OHP completed the survey; 101 (56.7%) are used in this analysis as they properly completed questions related to the impact of atmospheric events on oncology care and climate-related events experienced by patients reported by OHP. Results: Most study participants were nurses (52.5%), followed by physicians (31.7%) and other healthcare professionals (15.8%); 79% worked in urban settings. The climate events most reported to affect oncology care were hurricanes (91.0%), floods (86.1), heavy rains (85.1%), and extreme heat (71.3%). Most OHP reported that due to atmospheric events, patients have frequently/occasionally missed appointments (85.2%), experienced delays in treatments (75.2%), needed relocation for treatment (46.5%), had climate-related health concerns (74.2%), had mental health (80.2%) and issues (77.2%) issues, and had concerns about food security or housing (65.4%). In terms of preparedness, 54.5% of OHP reported that their workplace had disaster plans and 82.2% that their institutions are taking preparation steps for climate-related events. Conclusion: While our sample of OHP exhibits awareness of the impact that climate change can pose on oncology care, many did not report planning efforts in their institutions. Education and preparedness efforts among OPH are warranted. Funding: NIH awards U54GM133807; 2U54MD007587; P20CA294096-01 Citation Format: Jessica Hernandez Marrero, Nancy R. Cardona-Cordero, Marievelise Soto-Salgado, Pamela Ginex, Milagros Eliah, Ana P. Ortiz. Climate stressors and oncology care: awareness of healthcare professionals in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 3818.