COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Council Bluffs nurse Minnie Walsh attended a campaign event for Rep. Randy Feenstra Wednesday hoping to ask the gubernatorial candidate about Iowa's rising cancer rates — but she never got the chance.
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"It's everyday someone else has cancer," Walsh said.
Iowa is one of only two states with growing cancer rates, a trend that has continued for more than a decade.
"Now, we're number two and all-of-a-sudden people are concerned. What happened when it first started ticking up?" Walsh said.
Feenstra says he hear from constituents about the cancer crisis.
"We have to invest in the research and finding out a solution to what's causing cancer in our state," the congressman said. "It's a serious issue, we've all been affected by it. I lost my childhood friend to cancer."
A recent report from the Harkin Institute and Iowa Environmental Council points to pesticides in drinking water as one of several contributing factors.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig pointed to other known causes: "70% of those cancers are tied to causes that are proven, that we know, things like smoking and radon and obesity, heavy drinking, binge drinking, sun exposure — those are things that we know today."
Naig also said other possible factors need to be considered and that cities need to invest more in water treatment infrastructure.
"From a water quality standpoint we need to turn the page on playing the blame game. There's too many folks that decided this is a great campaign issue that they're trying to scare folks," Naig said.
Walsh pushed back on explanations focused on lifestyle factors.
"Obesity's a national epidemic. You know, I think that they're selling us out to big ag – I'm talking factory – not family – farms. But big ag for the health of the Iowa people," Walsh said.
Yesterday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill funding pediatric cancer research in Iowa.
