This is the first in a series examining Iowa's cancer crisis and the lives caught in it. Funding from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism's 2026 National Fellowship helped to support this series.
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Ben Huntley, environmental health coordinator for Emmet and Palo Alto counties, performs a water test with Maureen Reeves Horsley, a nurse practitioner and Palo Alto County resident, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Ben Huntley, environmental health coordinator for Emmet and Palo Alto counties, performs a water test with Maureen Reeves Horsley, a nurse practitioner and Palo Alto County resident, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Al Puterbaugh has pancreatic cancer and lost family to cancer. His home county, Palo Alto, has one of the highest cancer incidence rates in Iowa.
Nurse Emmy Benton works at the Tyler Family Cancer Center at Cass Health on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Atlantic.
Victoria Means receives chemotherapy at the Tyler Family Cancer Center at the Cass County Memorial Hospital Monday, Aug. 3, 2026 in Atlantic, IA.
Cancer patients ring this bell at Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic when they complete their treatment.
Ann McCurdy, director of marketing and communications and chair of the Cancer Action Plan Team at Cass Health, cries as she listens to one of the stories from a patient receiving treatment on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Atlantic.
Bob Swan, who last year underwent treatment for duodenal cancer lives around 2 miles away from the Palo Alto County line. He visits with a reporter on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Lynn and Bob Swan live around 2 miles away from the Palo Alto county line Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Victoria Means waits outside the bathroom as one of her 3 sons prepares for school Monday, Aug. 24, 2026 in Atlantic, Iowa.
Nurse Jamie Bower prepares Victoria Means for her immunotherapy, while Victoria’s husband Ryan Means watches, at the Cass County Hospital Monday, Aug. 24, 2026 in Atlantic, Iowa. She receives this therapy roughly once per month and each time the medication costs tens of thousands of dollars, according to her bills. Victoria expresses that she is fortunate to have good insurance and is able to continue to work to keep her insurance.
This report was syndicated from USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.
Have you or someone you know been affected by cancer? We want to hear your story. Reach Nick El Hajj at nelhajj@registermedia.com or share your experience at DesMoinesRegister.com/CancerStory.
