All desks within the Registry are cleared and files and doors locked at the end of the day. All employees sign a pledge of confidentiality before beginning work with the Registry. Information About Cancer in Iowa Registry data are used to provide information about cancer in Iowa. Figure 1 illustrates the five most common cancers in Iowa for men and women. Recent trends show lung cancer surpassing breast cancer as the leading cause of death among women, while still being the deadliest cancer in men.
Data also reveal the most common sites for people of different ages.
For example, lung and prostate cancer are most common in older men, breast and colorectal cancer most common in older women, and leukemia and brain tumors the most common among children. Figure 2 shows the annual number of cancer cases is 13 times greater in adults over age 55 compared to people under age 35. Survival rates for cancer have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. In addition to collecting data, the Registry functions as a public information source. Using the Registry database, the types and rate of cancer for that area can be identified.