Iowa goes against national trend in cancer war

While a national study indicates we’re making progress in the war on cancer, Iowa’s numbers aren’t quite as encouraging. The rate of new cancer cases and cancer deaths during the 1990s fell nationally a little more than one percent. In Iowa, the statistics are almost level for new cancer cases.Dr. Michelle West, a research scientist at the State Health Registry of Iowa, says the number of cancer deaths in Iowa is down slightly for 1990 through ’97.Among the top four cancers, Iowa only saw an increase in lung cancer deaths during the ’90s. Breast, prostate and colon cancer death rates all fell. Dr. West says the state data on lung cancer, up zero-point-four percent, is unfortunate. More Iowa women are smoking and dying from lung cancer while a greater number of Iowa men are kicking the habit.