DES MOINES, Iowa - A new report shows cancer deaths are up in Iowa.
The State Health Registry of Iowa projects 6,300 cancer related deaths in the state in 2018. That's 100 more than in 2017.
Doctor Charles Lynch is a researcher on the report. He says the increase in number is related to a Iowans' weights. “We are in the range of 30 to 35-percent of the population is obese," Lynch said, "That’s nearly one in three Iowans".
Dr. Richard Deming says obesity can cause certain types of cancers. “Post-Menopausal Breast Cancer ... endometrial cancer in woman, prostate cancer and colon cancer." Deming is Director at Mercy Cancer Center.
The State Health Registry of Iowa report shows that colon-rectum cancer is one of deadliest cancers that affect both men and women and is related to weight. It's projected to kill 540 Iowans this year.
Deming tells WHO TV Channel 13 that preventing obesity-related cancer goes beyond eating healthy. There is also another link. “Chronic stress suppresses the immune system and a suppressed immune system causes cancer," Dr. Deming said.