Wildfires and other climate-induced weather extremes are posing an increased threat to cancer patients by shifting their treatment trajectories and access to care, a new study has determined.

Patients recovering from lung cancer surgery within an active wildfire zone required longer hospital stays than those in areas that had no such blazes, scientists reported in the study, published on Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

These lengthier stays could be due to the reluctance of healthcare providers to discharge patients to a hazardous environment, housing instability or safety issues — or due to the unavailability of routine post-op care, staff shortages or shuttered rehab centers, according to the study.

"There are currently no guidelines for protecting the health and........

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