Surprising Research on Iowa Farmers and Cancer Rates

Iowans have been reading plenty of bad news about cancer rates in the state. And while this story won't erase those numbers, it does shed light on who isn't getting cancer as much as the general population. Farmers.

Results from the Iowa Cancer Registry Report

The Des Moines Register reports that there were some surprising numbers involving farmers that were revealed in the Iowa Cancer Registery Report. Iowa farmers who participated in a long-running national health study had 13% fewer expected cancers compared to the rest of the state's population. Officials say that while farmers might work closer to dangerous pesticides than most, that doesn't automatically translate to a higher cancer rate.

Why Were Farmers Cancer Rates Lower?

The Register reports that officials who conducted the study stated that cancer is complicated. Smoking and drinking can often lead to cancer, and Iowa farmers do less of that than the general population. Farmers also benefit from the 'healthy worker effect', where people with physically demanding jobs tend to be healthier than the general population, according to the Register. Farmers also tended to have certain types of cancer more than others. The report found that Iowa farmers were more likely to suffer from prostate and lip cancer, than from colon, rectal, lung, or bladder cancer.

Overall, Cancer Rates in Iowa Among Worst in the Nation

The Register reports plenty of bad news from this study too. The rate of new cancers in Iowa among young adults is the second highest in the nation. Iowa is one of only three states with rising new cancer rates. Iowans are expected to be diagnosed with 21,700 new cases of invasive cancer this year, according to the Register.