Grant Number:	5P20CA294096-02 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Ortiz, Ana
Organization:	Comprehensive Cancer Center/ Univ/Pr
Project Title:	The Caribbean Cancer Research Center on Environmental and Natural Hazards
Fiscal Year:	2025

Natural and environmental hazards are a threat to human health, which impacts each step of the cancer control continuum. Frequent extreme weather events in the US Caribbean (Puerto Rico [PR] and US Virgin Islands [USVI]) have highlighted the interdependencies of their critical infrastructure systems and how their disruption leads to catastrophic failures in social and economic ecosystems, with fatal and long-lasting consequences. Additionally, the impact of contaminated sites and reported releases of carcinogens has become a public health priority in both PR and the USVI. These US Territories, where cancer is among the leading causes of death, have suffered major disruptions in cancer prevention and screening programs, and delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment as a result of extreme weather events. Preventing cancer risk and sustaining infrastructure for cancer control after these events are priorities. The Caribbean Cancer Research Center on Environmental and Natural Hazards (CARIB-CARES) will address these issues. A partnership between the University of PR Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of PR-Medical Sciences Campus, and the University of the Virgin Islands, alongside government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations based in the US Caribbean region and the continental US, will work collaboratively to assess the impact of environmental and natural hazards across the cancer control continuum among US Caribbean populations. The main goal of CARIB-CARES is to increase and support the research and governance capacity of the communities in PR and USVI with respect to extreme weather events, environmental pollution, and health. Using a human-centered design, the specific aims of CARB-CARES are: 1) To form a regional knowledge-action network of researchers, physicians, stakeholders and community residents, public and private institutions working on the cancer continuum that can evaluate needs, provide technical-scientific expertise, facilitate communication, and build cross-regional connections and capacity on natural hazards, environmental pollution, and cancer risk, prevention and control in the US Caribbean region; 2) Increase the number of students and researchers from the Caribbean region conducting research on the impact of natural hazards and pollution on cancer prevention and control, with the intent to mitigate the burden of environmental stressors on human health among Caribbean communities; 3) Establish a Community Coalition of Partners to develop and strengthen sustainable strategic collaborations with stakeholders, community-partners, academic, nonprofit and government-based organizations to promote scientific and community-focused activities aimed at reducing the impact of natural and environmental hazards on cancer prevention and control among the Caribbean populations; and 4) Provide capacity-building activities for community members, students and faculty on natural, environmental hazards, and health, to strengthen community and academic infrastructure and capacity through outreach, interventions and research. CARIB-CARES includes multi-centric and integrated Administrative and Community Engagement Cores and a mixed-methods research project to guide the proposed efforts.




Potential Exposure to Environmental Toxic Emissions and Increased Cancer Risk in Puerto Rico.
Authors: Cardona-Cordero N.R. , Ortiz A.P. , Rosado-Estrada L. , Torres-Rodríguez P.N. , Torres-Cintrón C.R. , Michael N. , Mendez-Lazaro P. , Suárez E. , Ortiz-Ortiz K. , Soto-Salgado M. .
Source: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention : A Publication Of The American Association For Cancer Research, Cosponsored By The American Society Of Preventive Oncology, 2025-09-03 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2025-09-03 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 40900634
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