Meredith, tell us more. Your location might help in diagnosing this problem. So would some photos of the damage. Are the lines on the canes vertical or horizontal? Where did you buy the roses? Are they grafted or own-root? Are you in an area troubled by gophers, rabbits, or deer? Has it been unusually hot in your location this year?
Incidentally, I googled "rose cane damage" to see whether I could find anything that met your description, and the images included one of Axl Rose walking with a cane.
