University of Iowa researchers said they have completed preliminary modeling for breast and prostate cancers, and are about a fourth of the way through a two-year project seeking to shed some light on why Iowa has some of the high cancer rates in the country.
The project is a collaboration between the state of Iowa and the University of Iowa College of Public Health. The first year of the project, which began in July of last year and ends next June, was funded by $1 million from the state. The second year will be funded by Iowa's money from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the project during her 2025 Condition of the State address.
Iowa has the second highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the country, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry.
Pinpointing the reason behind this is complex, said Mary Charlton, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa and the director of the Iowa Cancer Registry.
"It is caused by a different combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental risk factors, and these factors can cause cancer to develop over many years, sometimes decades," she said at a news conference Thursday.
Researchers said for the last few months, they have used modeling to compare Iowa's breast and prostate cancer rates to similar Midwestern states and control for some demographic and behavioral factors that are known to influence one's risk of cancer, such as race, marital status, frequency of check-ups, binge drinking and obesity.
They found the overall model showed the number of excess cases of breast and prostate cancer in Iowa dropped significantly when these factors were applied, but some counties continued to have higher than expected rates.
"These would be counties that, in the next phases, might be of interest to look into some of the other factors that we want to look at," said Jacob Oleson, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Iowa.
Researchers said they also plan to apply the model to melanoma, lung, colorectal and HPV-related cancers. Those cancers, along with breast and prostate, make up more than 50% of cancers found in the state.
They will also look into genetic and environmental factors. Edith Parker, the dean of the University of Iowa College of Public Health, said the study started with demographic and behavioral factors because that data is easier to find than data on factors like water quality, radon and pesticide use.
"We're trying to compile what data is available there, working with partners across the state," she said.
State officials also announced their intention to put $50 million of the $209 million they were awarded this year through the Rural Health Transformation Program toward reducing cancer rates.
The state hopes to eventually put $183 million from the five-year federal program for rural health care toward cancer, according to Reynolds.
"This means more availability and accessibility for cancer screening, radon testing and mitigation and specialty cancer care in communities statewide," she said.
The state plans to direct the funding toward prevention efforts like colorectal cancer screenings, radon testing and distributing dermatoscopes to rural providers to look for skin cancer. Robert Kruse, the state medical director, said the money will also be used to invest in increasing the oncology workforce and services in rural areas.
"Cancer outcomes are not predetermined. Iowa can reduce preventable risk, detect our cancer earlier and strengthen access to high quality care statewide and across those rural communities, not only in our largest metro areas," Kruse said.
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