Natural Disasters and Cancer in Older Adults

geriatri-10-1-kapak-wos

Fatma SERTa , Bihter ENİSELERb

aEge University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, İzmir, Türkiye
bManisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology, Manisa, Türkiye

ABSTRACT
Older adults exposed to natural disasters are at an increased risk for a range of adverse health events, including death, injury, hospitalization, stroke, displacement, respiratory problems, mental health problems, and the worsening of chronic illnesses. Analyses of the health consequences of natural disasters typically focus on the short-term effects, neglecting the long-term impacts on the affected populations. The long-term effects of natural disasters on older adult health have largely been ignored, with few exceptions. This article discusses the potential for natural disasters to contribute to cancer and disrupt cancer care treatment systems for older adults. Exposures to floods and wildfires, in particular, are argued to pose an underestimated threat to the onset and/or progression of cancer and the management of cancer in older adults. We offer recommendations for comprehensive risk assessment and emergency preparedness models that address the full impact of natural disasters on the health and wellbeing of vulnerable, at-risk, older adults.
Keywords: Natural disasters; cancer; older adults; geriatrics

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