Iowa's rising cancer rates: Cause for concern

The 2025 Cancer in Iowa report revealed that Iowa’s cancer rate is the second fastest growing in the country. A recent investigation reveals that the news is even worse for younger Iowans.

The Washington Post published an in-depth report on Oct. 27, 2025, investigating the number of young adults (20s, 30s and 40s) in Iowa and other Midwest corn belt states who’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Among the personal stories profiled in the Washington Post report were:

• A 25-year-old waitress in West Des Moines whose complaints of a pea-sized lump were dismissed repeatedly; she insisted it was more than a cyst and was finally diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Beatrice Abang-Ntuen is now a nursing student who, at age 29, says she feels more like 78 from the after-effects of cancer treatment.

• A group of five recent Winterset high school graduates who have testicular cancer or a blood cancer (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s lymphoma). Three were diagnosed as Stage 4, one was Stage 3-4, and one was Stage 2; their ages at diagnosis were 18, 19, 21, 23 and 28.

• A West Des Moines woman diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 30; now, at 42, she wears a feeding tube 24/7 for nutrition because of the damage done to her digestive system.

Post reporters reviewed data using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Wonder software, and their analysis revealed that the rate of cancer among young people in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois is 5% higher than the rest of the country.

Cancer frequency in those top six corn-producing states had been about the same as the rest of the country’s in 1999, both for young adults and the overall population. But rates started rising in the 2000s and, by 2015, the six states have been much higher in cancer rates for those ages 15 to 49. Now they are a full 5% higher for young adults and 5% higher for the overall population.

In 2000, the state of Iowa ranked 18th in cancer incidence for adults under the age of 50, now the state ranks 5th.

Unfortunately, the data does not provide an answer to the question on everyone’s mind: Why?

Researchers the Post talked to have started shifting away from traditional thought regarding personal behaviors and genetics, and more toward the everyday environment. “We’ve changed what we’re exposed to considerably in the past few decades,” Washington University School of Medicine professor Gary Patti told the Post. Those changes could be making our bodies age faster, paving the way for earlier diseases.

Building a healthier, sustainable Iowa in 2026

The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) is a nonpartisan alliance of organizations including the Iowa Cancer Coalition, of which Beyond Pink TEAM is a member. IEC is calling on state lawmakers to take bold steps in 2026 to protect Iowans’ health and strengthen our environment. This year’s priorities focus on three urgent challenges:

• Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Iowa, claiming about 400 lives each year. Most counties are at the nation’s highest risk level, yet many families don’t know if their homes are affected. The IEC urges the legislature to invest in programs that expand testing and mitigation across homes, schools, and businesses — protecting families and reducing healthcare costs.

• Clean water is essential for healthy communities and ecosystems. But after funding cuts in 2023, 60 water quality sensors are expected to go offline in 2026, making it harder to track pollution and design effective solutions. The IEC is advocating for $600,000 in annual state funding to restore and expand the Iowa Water Quality Information System, so we have tools to understand and protect our waterways.

• Coal ash — a toxic byproduct of coal-fired power plants — contains dangerous substances like arsenic, mercury, and lead. Iowa has 69 known coal ash disposal sites across 16 counties. The IEC is calling for legislation to prohibit coal ash leachate discharges into waterways, strengthen groundwater monitoring and require robust cleanup measures – all to keep drinking water and recreational areas safe.

You can help: Make sure you have tested your home for radon. And speak up by contacting your legislators about the issues listed above. We can work together to protect both people and the environment for generations to come. Learn more at iaenvironment.org