Why Your Zip Code Might Be Killing You — Iowa's Cancer Crisis Explained

Why Your Zip Code Might Be Killing You — Iowa's Cancer Crisis Explained

From The Healthy Project Podcast by Healthy Project Media

March 23, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 192

About this episode

This episode discusses Iowa's high cancer rates and the systemic issues affecting community health.

Some things are true whether we talk about them or not. Iowa has one of the highest cancer rates in the country. The people most affected by it are often the last ones to hear about it. And the systems that were supposed to catch it early — the clinics, the screenings, the outreach programs — are losing funding right now, quietly, in ways most people won't notice until it's too late. This episode is about all of that. But more than anything, it's about people. About This Conversation Corey sits down with Jason Semprini — a public health economist, a lifelong Iowan, and somebody who has spent his career translating complex data into something that can actually change how communities live. What started as a conversation about economics turned into one of the most honest, grounded discussions about health, place, and power that The Healthy Project Podcast has ever had. This one isn't for researchers. It's for anyone who has ever wondered why their community looks the way it does — and whether anybody in power is paying attention. What We Get Into The cancer rate nobody's talking about: Iowa ranks among the highest states in the nation for cancer. It's not a fluke. It's not a bad…

People in this episode

Host: Corey

Guest: Jason Semprini

Topics covered

  • cancer rates
  • public health
  • Iowa
  • community health
  • economic impact

Keywords

  • cancer crisis
  • Iowa health
  • public health economics
  • community impact
  • healthcare funding

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Iowa

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