Cancer Prevention in Iowa

The final day of National Farm Safety and Health Week has arrived. The focus is a new topic, it’s cancer prevention.

Iowa has the second-highest rate of new cancer cases in the United States and is one of only a few states where cancer rates are actively rising. The 2026 Cancer in Iowa Report estimates about 21,700 new cancer diagnoses in the state. Iowa also ranks near the top nationally for cancer rates among young adults aged 20 to 39.

Recent studies from the Iowa Environmental Council, the Harkin Institute, and the Iowa Cancer Registry highlight key environmental and lifestyle targets for prevention: Prevalent in Iowa’s Zone One, radon is a major driver of lung cancer. Local efforts—such as Marion County’s “Combat Cancer” program that’s active across 67 counties—provide free home radon test kits and mitigation funding. Campaigns like Protect Water Prevent Cancer focus on reducing exposure to agricultural chemical runoffs, nitrates, and pesticides tied to elevated regional cancer risks.

It seems that taking care of our environmental factors first in Iowa could slow the cancer rates being recorded throughout the state.