Cancer a growing concern in Montgomery County

Around 30 Red Oak residents participated in a special cancer listening session at the Red Oak Public Library on July 23.
In addition to area residents, the session was attended by Iowa Sen. Tom Shipley and former Red Oak Mayor Bill Billings, who shared his own personal experience of how cancer had affected his life.
The event was hosted by the Iowa Environmental Council, the Harkin Institute at Drake University, and the Iowa Farmers Union. Cody Smith, director of climate initiatives at the Iowa Environmental Council said they were thrilled for the opportunity to hold the session.
“We are thrilled about our partnership with the Farmers Union and with the Harkin Institute. The Iowa Environmental Council is a statewide nonprofit organization, and our mission is to provide and build a just, sustainable, and healthy environment for all Iowans now and for generations to come. We’ve been doing this work for about 30 years, which makes us the ronmental coalition in Iowa. So we’re proud of that legacy, we’re proud of that work, and we’re looking forward to being a part of this conversation,” said Smith.
Adam Shriver, director of wellness and nutrition at the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, also spoke at the session.
“The Harkin Institute was founded in 2014 when longtime Senator Tom Harkin decided to retire, and he wanted to have an institute that continued on working on the policy issues that he cared about during his career. So we have four areas that we focus on. Disability policy, which Senator Harkin was the co-author of the American Disabilities Act, labor and employment, retirement security, and my area, which is wellness and nutrition,” commented Schriver. “We’ve been really thrilled to work on this project with the Iowa Environmental Council and the Iowa Farmers Union. The Harkin Institute is actually playing kind of a dual role in this project. We’re helping out a little bit with the listening sessions, but we’re also leading a review of scientific literature, looking at some possible environmental contributors to cancer. So that report is going to be done towards the end of August. We’ve hired a research fellow who’s going to be working on that.”
Jonathan Lawrence, education program director with the Iowa Farmers Union, said it is a grassroots organization of family farmers, rural residents, and advocates working together for a better farm economy for producers in Iowa.
“Since 1915, we’ve stood up for independent producers, supported sustainable practices, and worked to strengthen our rural communities. Cancer is not just a public health issue. It’s a personal one. Too many of our neighbors, friends, and family members have been impacted, and here in rural Iowa, many of our members are seeing clusters of cancer incidents amongst the troubling trends in cancer rates, and they’ve asked us to engage in this issue with our attention and discussion. We know that farmers are stewards of the land and care deeply about the health of their families, workers, and communities. That’s why we believe it’s so important to foster open conversations grounded in the stories of our farmers around our shared concern for our families,” Lawrence advised. “By bringing together farmers, health care professionals, researchers, and rural residents, we can better understand what’s happening and explore what steps can be taken to support healthier outcomes for all Iowans. Through conversations like these, we can build stronger, healthier rural communities, and we’re really fortunate to bring that farmer voice to the table. “
Tatum Watkins, a summer intern at the Harkin Institute, shared some troubling data about cancer in Iowa.
“Iowa has the second highest cancer rate in the nation and is one of only two states where cancer rates are increasing, not decreasing. An estimated 21,200 new invasive cancers will be diagnosed among Iowans in 2025, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry’s annual Cancer in Iowa report. More cancer also means more people living as cancer survivors,” Watkins explained. In fact, more than 5% of Iowans are living as cancer survivors. While some of the risk factors of cancer are well known and studied, like lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and UV radiation from sun or tanning beds, other potential causes are less understood and can be trickier to talk about.”
Watkins also shared some of the Montgomery County-specific figures when it comes to cancer.
“Montgomery County is 12th out of 99 counties for new incidences of cancer. Montgomery County has 526.52 new cases per 100,000 people per year. So, Montgomery County is a pretty tiny county. You’re maybe not going to see the more than 500 new cases, but if you were to equate it to Montgomery County’s size, it’s a lot,” Watkins said. “The national average is just under 100 people lower than that. So, Montgomery County is way above the national average and even above the Iowa average.”
And not only does Montgomery County have a very high incidence rate, it also has one of the highest mortality rates in the state.
“Montgomery County ranks 7th out of 99 counties in Iowa for cancer-related deaths. Montgomery County has 161.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year, and the national average is 147.68 people. The predicted new cancer rates in the county for 2025 indicate that this year, 75 new people will be diagnosed with cancer. Although 75 may seem like a low number, it’s not when you think about how many people live here,” commented Watkins.
Watkins added the experts are clear that cancer is never just about one thing, it’s multifactorial.
“Environmental risk factors must be considered to get a full picture of cancer in our state. That is why we are starting with a rigorous review of the scientific research about environmental risk factors related to cancer. It is so important to rely on good science, but we also need to know how Iowans are understanding and experiencing this moment,” stated Watkins.
Attendees of the session then split into small groups and heard stories from attendees about their experiences with cancer, or those of their loved ones, and completed a survey, with the results remaining anonymous.
Learn more at www.iaenvironment.org, click on the Our Work tab, and then click Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in Iowa.