What are some cancer screening and treatment options in Iowa?

Finding the right screening and treatment options for cancer can be overwhelming. But Iowa has more options than you might expect. We’ve assembled some resources to help.

Cancer screening is kind of like getting your car inspected. Problems are not always obvious and physician-recommended checks can help. The process looks for cancer before a person has any symptoms. Screening for cancer does not mean a person has or will develop cancer. 

But finding cancer early makes it easier to treat. You don’t want to wait for the “check engine” light to turn on. 

Talk to your primary care doctor about whether a particular screening is right for you.

What do I get screened for?

There are generally four kinds of tests: physical exams, laboratory tests, imaging procedures and genetic tests. And they do come with their own risks. For example, a colonoscopy can cause tears in the lining of the colon. However, catching colon cancer before it advances is important.

Screening recommendations vary based on a patient’s age, family history, and risk factors like whether they smoke tobacco. 

The US Preventative Services Task Force makes recommendations that many insurance companies use to determine their rules on coverage. Here’s some guidance on common task force-recommended screenings:

• Breast Cancer – The task force recommends women get screened every two years from ages 40 to 74. This recommendation includes cisgender women, but also trans women and nonbinary people receiving hormone treatment. Keep in mind, all of us have breast tissue. More information here.
• Cervical Cancer – For women ages 21 to 29, the task force recommends screening for cervical cancer every 3 years with cervical cytology, also known as a pap test or pap smear. For women ages 30 to 65 years, the task force recommends screening every 3 years with a pap test, every 5 years with a high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) test, or every 5 years with hrHPV testing in combination with a pap test.
• Colorectal Cancer – Screenings for colorectal cancer are recommended for all adults ages 45 to 75 every 10 years. More information here.
• Lung Cancer – The task force recommends annual screening in adults aged 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-a-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Screening should be discontinued once a person has not smoked for 15 years or develops a health problem that substantially limits life expectancy or the ability or willingness to have curative lung surgery. More information here.
• Prostate Cancer – The American Cancer Society recommends that men be screened for prostate cancer beginning at age 50. African American men should begin screening at age 45, as they are at higher risk for developing prostate cancer.

Where to get treatment

If screening does find something, Iowa has many treatment options. The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center—one of just 53 in the entire country. Studies show patients at these centers have up to 25% better outcomes.

Mission Cancer + Blood (recently acquired by UI Health Care) operates 21 community cancer clinics across Iowa. They work alongside the Holden center to ensure patients get treatment while minimizing travel barriers.

In central Iowa, the William R. Bliss Cancer Center partners with McFarland Clinic to serve Ames and surrounding areas. The John Stoddard Cancer Center at UnityPoint Health provides comprehensive care in the Des Moines metro area.

Whether you’re seeking screening or treatment, the most important thing is to take the first step. Pick up the phone and ask for help. These centers want to guide you through the process, because no one should face cancer alone.

Some helping hands

For breast and cervical cancer, Iowa’s Care for Yourself program provides free or low-cost screenings for patients ages 21 to 64. The program is income qualified: a patient must make less than $3,038 monthly. The services are available at 1,200 clinics across the state. 

For mammograms specifically, University of Iowa Health Care offers walk-in screenings for women over the age of 40 at UIHC’s Breast Imaging Center—no appointments needed. The Iowa Clinic and other local health systems also provide comprehensive cancer screening services throughout the state.

The Especially for You Fund offers assistance for free mammograms and other breast-care and gynecological services in Linn, Benton, Buchanan, Delaware, and Jones counties.

For colorectal cancer, Iowa Get Screened: Colorectal Cancer Program is another source of assistance for Iowans ages 45 to 75 who have incomes of up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

Team Breast Friends offers financial aid to patients receiving active breast cancer treatments who have been diagnosed in the past 5 years. They must live in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, or Washington county.

READ MORE: What are the most common types of cancer in Iowa?