(Iowa City, IA) -- University of Iowa cancer researchers say Iowa is now 2nd in the nation, behind Kentucky when it comes to new cancer cases. Mary Charlton, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology and director of the Iowa Cancer registry says they're not sure why. She notes it's reasonable that a state such as Kentucky would rank high, given that smoking rates are higher there. She says, however, Iowa's smoking rates are lower.
Charlton says Iowa has seen increases in all types of cancers. She says early detection is good in Iowa, so many cancers are treatable.
During a news conference today (Tuesday) at the University of Iowa, Charlton mentioned that diet and physical inactivity along with alcohol consumption could be factors that are driving up Iowa's numbers. She says the most recent state-by-state data is age-adjusted, to account for Iowa's aging demographics. She says Iowa's cancer numbers were also higher than those in surrounding agricultural states where the same farm chemicals are used.
Read the report here: The Iowa Cancer Registry