Blog

Celebrating Our 2021 Award Winners

Every year, the Iowa Cancer Consortium invites open nominations for two awards – the Iowa Cancer Champion Award and the Spirit of Collaboration Award. Winners are chosen by the Consortium’s Board of Directors and announced at the annual Iowa Cancer Summit. Our 2021 winners have made a big impact on the burden of cancer in…

Alcohol and Breast Cancer – A Surprising Connection

By Raimee Eck, PhD, MPH, MPAS; Paul Gilbert, PhD, ScM; and Priscilla Martinez, PhD, MPhil Most people know about the harms that can come from drinking—from hangovers to addiction—but few people are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer. In fact, alcohol is considered a carcinogen,1 and it has been established as a cause…

Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Written by Josh Bollam September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month! Josh Bollam, senior manager of patient and community outreach for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Iowa Cancer Consortium member explains why leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma awareness is important, as well as what services LLS provides. The mission of LLS is to cure these…

Sun-Safety for Skin of Color

Written by Liz Orton, Iowa Cancer Consortium Dr. Nkanyezi Ferguson is a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC). She has led the Ethnic Skin Care Clinic since 2016, and is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Graduate Medical Education (GME). Last December, Dr. Ferguson authored an editorial…

A Message of Thanks and Welcome to Our Board Members!

As we settle into yet another new fiscal year, please help us thank members of the Iowa Cancer Consortium Board of Directors. Board members bring their experiences, their expertise, and their passions to the (virtual) table to develop and implement priorities, policies, and principles that make the Consortium what it is – a strong, skilled,…

Recorded ECHO Series Address Hepatitis C, A Risk Factor for Liver Cancer

Written by Katie Jones, MPH The Iowa Department of Public has partnered with the Iowa Primary Care Association and Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) in a demonstration project for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that aims to prevent liver cancer deaths. The project is targeted at promoting vaccination and screening among opioid…

Starting a Cancer Clinical Trials Program in a Rural Iowa Hospital

On July 13, 2021, the Iowa Cancer Consortium was pleased to host Shannon Benson, Administrator at the Iowa Oncology Research Association and Lori Pietig, Cancer Services Director at St. Anthony Regional Cancer Center for an Iowa Cancer Clinical Trials Virtual Roundtable. During the roundtable, the two Consortium members discussed how their partnership came to be.…

Catching Up on HPV Vaccines: Why It’s a Crucial Vaccine for Our Kids

Written by Nathan Boonstra MD, general pediatrician at Blank Children’s Hospital and chair of Iowa Immunizes state coalition As the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold, a lot of medical appointments were delayed or missed for a variety of good reasons. In fact, as a pediatrician, I was recommending delaying less urgent appointments until we knew…

Sun-Safety Community Project Awardees & Special Meaning for Greene County Skin Cancer Survivor

Written by: Liz Orton Every summer since 2014, the Iowa Cancer Consortium has provided free sunscreen through our Sun-Safety Community Project program. After cancelling the 2020 program due to COVID-19, the Consortium was excited to accept applications for summer 2021 last May! This year, the Consortium distributed 62 gallons of SPF 30 sunscreen to 23…

Radon & Rentals: Iowa City First in State to Require Radon Testing & Mitigation in Rental Homes

Written by Liz Orton Delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa City is ready to enact its new radon testing and mitigation policy for single-family detached and duplex rental properties beginning July 1, 2021. This policy is the first of its kind in Iowa. Stan Laverman, Senior Housing Inspector with the City of Iowa…