Iowa's rising cancer rate — the second highest in the country — has for the first time emerged as a major issue alongside kitchen-table concerns such as the cost of living ▻ ↧ In Iowa, soaring cancer rates emerge as a key midterms issue Pacing a stage at the Iowa State Fair, flanked by his wife and four of their six children, Republican US Congressman Zach Nunn spoke passionately about an issue that has emerged as a key concern in his competitive midterms race: cancer.