# Post-Hurricane Cancer Care: Patient Needs after Hurricane Maria

> **NIH NIH R21** · PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $212,707

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Studies evaluating the effects of natural disasters on cancer outcomes and disparities are scarce, and to the
study team’s knowledge; none have examined the impact of exposure to multiple disasters, particularly in ethnic
minority groups. Currently, the team is expanding assessments to include the impact of COVID-19 and the
earthquakes’ secondary hazards (social isolation, unemployment, healthcare services disruption, structural
damage) on stress biomarkers and changes in multilevel determinants of health. The proposed supplement will
complement the scope of the parent R21 (1R21MD013674) by: 1) expanding recruitment to include additional
cancer patients (+75) and controls (+75) who were exposed to Maria, the 2020 earthquakes, and the COVID-19
pandemic; 2) identifying patients’ unmet psychological and medical needs resulting from the aftermath of the
2020 earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic, and; 3) examining the impact of Maria, the earthquakes, and
the COVID-19 pandemic on multilevel factors relevant to health outcomes. The proposed supplement project
will shift current research paradigms in health outcomes after natural disasters by exploring the physiological
effects of extreme stressors on biological processes known to affect cancer progression and comorbid
conditions, including inflammation and stress hormones. By expanding the parent grant’s scope to include the
2020 earthquakes and COVID-19 pandemic, the study team will increase the understanding of the effects of
multiple disaster stressors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10172476
- **Project number:** 3R21MD013674-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Eida Maria Castro
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $212,707
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-17 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10172476

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10172476, Post-Hurricane Cancer Care: Patient Needs after Hurricane Maria (3R21MD013674-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10172476. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*