(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is one of few states in the nation where cancer rates are still rising, and some of state’s top cancer researchers are meeting in the Des Moines metro area today (Tuesday) for the annual Iowa Cancer Summit. Rachel Schramm, is program manager for the Iowa Cancer Consortium, which is hosting what’s expected to be a record crowd of 300. “The Iowa Cancer Summit is Iowa’s only statewide cancer control conference,” Schramm says, “and we really talk about promoting cancer prevention and control initiatives and education to Iowans who are interested in reducing the burden of cancer.”

Speakers at the event will include Dr. Kimryn Rathmell, director of the National Cancer Institute and a member of President Biden’s Cancer Panel, and Dr. Robert Smith, senior vice president of Early Cancer Detection Science at the American Cancer Society. Other speakers will discuss agriculture’s role in cancer, along with steps Iowans can take to reduce cancer risk from agricultural exposures. “The primary audience for the Iowa Cancer Summit is really any Iowans who feel like cancer has touched their lives, or that they really want to make a difference,” Schramm says. “We do have a mix of physicians, oncologists, caregivers, cancer survivors, public health professionals, really, anyone is invited.”

Studies show Iowa has the nation’s second-highest cancer incidence rate, or new cancer cases. While the U.S. cancer incidence rate is falling, only six states have rising rates, and Iowa’s is rising the fastest. Schramm says it’s unclear why. “The only thing that we do know is that it is probably not a smoking gun, or one answer to why our cancer rates are rising, but we do have a mix of researchers and scientists and folks from the community. We’re really trying to work together to figure this out,” Schramm says. “We’re hoping we can put all of these wonderful minds together and figure out what we can do to turn that tide.” Some of Iowa’s worst cancer rates are in: melanoma, breast, lung and prostate.

The day-long Iowa Cancer Summit is being held at the F-F-A Enrichment Center in Ankeny. In-person registration for the event is now closed, but proceedings will be live-streamed for free on the website: Cancer Iowa-dot-org.