10/27/2025

The Mysterious Rise of Cancer among Young Adults in the Corn Belt

The incidence of cancer in those in their 20s, 30s and 40s is exploding

Mackenzie Dryden's happiest childhood memories are of running barefoot through the sunlit corn fields of her hometown of Winterset, Iowa. But when she was diagnosed with cancer 2.5 years ago at 18, a disturbing thought began to take hold.

Could something in the land she loved have made her sick?

Dryden went to social media for answers, and stumbled upon a deeper mystery: Within just two years, four other recent graduates from her high school — home to only 500 students — had also been diagnosed with advanced cancers.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.