Breast cancer patients who endured Hurricane Katrina in 2005 have a 15% higher mortality rate than those patients not exposed to the storm, according to a researcher.

This increase was likely caused by disaster-related health care disruptions, said Sue Anne Bell, an assistant professor at the U-M School of Nursing and a member of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

Bell is first author on two unrelated studies that outline these findings: The most recent compares cancer patients in Louisiana who experienced Katrina to similar patients who did not experience a hurricane.

The second analyzes interruptions in home health care during Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas in 2017. While the study didn’t look specifically at cancer patients, the overall findings may help explain the higher breast cancer mortality rate for Katrina survivors, Bell said.

Both studies suggest a larger, more somber message.

«With an aging population there’s a much higher rate of chronic disease that requires sustained treatment and access to health care,» Bell said. «How will we meet dialysis needs or the needs of someone with high blood pressure or diabetes or cancer?

Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Michigan. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.