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Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in Iowa

The Iowa Environmental Council and The Harkin Institute announced the launch of a new initiative that explores the relationship between environmental risk factors and cancer rates in Iowa.

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rates in the nation, and it is among only two states where cancer rates are increasing, not decreasing. An estimated 21,200 new invasive cancers will be diagnosed among Iowans in 2025, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry’s annual “Cancer in Iowa” report.

While some risk factors for cancers are well known and studied, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds, other potential causes are less understood.

“We know that our environment and our health are inextricably linked,” says Sarah Green, Executive Director of the Iowa Environmental Council. “With so many Iowans’ lives touched by cancer, it’s important that we explore every link and find ways we can work together to mitigate all potential sources of risk and save lives.”

The initiative is the first of its kind to combine a rigorous review of existing academic research about environmental risk factors and their sources with a statewide campaign to listen to, understand, and amplify Iowans’ own lived experiences with cancer.