Iowa's cancer crisis: Report finds links between rising cases and environmental contamination

Iowa's cancer crisis: Report finds links between rising cases and environmental contamination

Iowa has the second-highest rate of new cancer cases in the country, a position it has held since at least 2023.

'It's clear we need to change': Report identifies four environmental factors raising cancer risk in Iowa

Dr. Richard Denning speaking at the Harkin Institute, March 25, 2026. — Joe Crimmings/Iowa Environmental Council “Cancer is not an abstract problem in Iowa,” oncologist Richard Denning told the people gathered in the Harkin Institute’s auditorium. “It’s not rare, it’s not declining and it’s not evenly distributed. Cancer affects everybody, but it doesn’t affect everybody equally.” Eighty percent of the 25 counties with highest cancer rates in Io…

A new report looks at how environmental factors in Iowa could affect cancer rates, which rank second-worst in the nation

A new report looks at how environmental factors in Iowa could affect cancer rates, which rank second-worst in the nation. The report from the Iowa Environmental Council and the Harkin Institute summarizes peer-reviewed scientific research surrounding cancer risk and environmental factors, like nitrate, PFAS (PEE-fuss), radon and pesticides. Michael Schmidt, with the Iowa Environmental Council, says many Iowans seem unsure of how the environment …