Iowa's young adults are getting cancer

Cancer diagnoses in young adults are higher in Iowa and other Midwest states in comparison to the rest of the country, the Washington Post reports.

State of play: Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and Kansas had the same cancer frequency rate among young adults in comparison to the rest of the nation in 1999.

• But in the 2000s, Midwest states started to tick up higher than the rest, and since 2015, they have had a "significantly" higher cancer rate among those ages 15 to 49, per the Post.

Stunning stat: In 2000, Iowa ranked 18th in the nation for cancer rates among adults under 50.

• Now it's ranked fifth.

The big picture: A complex plethora of factors could be contributing to why cancer rates are higher in Iowa, including the prevalence of radon, high binge drinking rates and outdoor UV exposure.

• But research is also showing Iowans are also more exposed to environmental "cancer-causing agents," like nitrates.

What they're saying: "What's driving these rates is what is on everyone's mind, including mine, all the time," Mary Charlton, director of the Iowa Cancer Registry, told the Post.

• "The complicated thing is that it's not risk factors now. It's our risk factors from 10, 20, 30 years ago that are causing the cancers now."

Between the lines: Though more young Iowans are getting diagnosed with cancer, their mortality rates are similar to the nation's average.

• It's a sign that there's high cancer prevalence, but better diagnosis and treatment, per the Post. In comparison, the South has higher rates of cancer mortality.

Worthy of your time: The mysterious rise of cancer among young adults in the Corn Belt (Washington Post)