Henry County residents invited to learn about local cancer trends

MT. PLEASANT — Henry County residents are invited to a public event Tuesday, July 1, to learn about cancer trends, risk factors and local statistics as part of a statewide public health initiative. The event will take place from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Henry County Emergency Management building, located at 900 W. Washington St. in Mt. Pleasant. A livestream also will be available via Zoom.

The session is part of the Cancer in Iowa: 99 Counties Project, led by the Iowa Cancer Registry. It will feature presentations by Mary Charlton, Ph.D., professor in the University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology and director of the Iowa Cancer Registry, and Whitney Zahnd, assistant professor in the University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy and past president of the Iowa Rural Health Association.

Charlton and Zahnd will present updated cancer statistics for Henry County, highlight key trends, and provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions or share feedback.

On average, 129 people are diagnosed with cancer and 45 people die from cancer each year in Henry County. The county ranks 75th out of Iowa’s 99 counties for new cancer cases, where a ranking of No. 1 represents the highest rate. Iowa as a whole has the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the United States.

The five most common cancers in Henry County are female breast, prostate, lung, uterine and colorectal. The county’s age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate is 117 per 100,000 people, which is statistically similar to the Iowa rate of 136.9 and the national rate of 129.8. The prostate cancer rate in Henry County is 104.4, also similar to Iowa’s 125.9 and the national rate of 113.2.

Lung cancer in the county occurs at a rate of 61.9 per 100,000, close to Iowa’s 60.8 and above the national rate of 53.1.

Uterine cancer stands out at 50.9 per 100,000, which is statistically higher than the state rate of 30.3 and the national rate of 27.8.

Colorectal cancer occurs at 39.4 per 100,000, statistically similar to the Iowa rate of 39.9 and the national rate of 36.4.

The “99 Counties Project” is designed to improve cancer education and community engagement across Iowa. In addition to presenting data, speakers will discuss evidence-based strategies identified in the Iowa Cancer Plan.

These include tobacco prevention and cessation, radon mitigation, skin cancer prevention, and efforts to reduce alcohol use and support healthier lifestyles.

A resource guide is available at iowacancerregistry.org/99. Presentation slides will be posted there following the event.

To attend in person or view the livestream, RSVP at canceriowa.news/henry. Questions may be directed to icr-99countiesproject@uiowa.edu.