Researchers want to know why two counties in north-central Kansas have high cancer rates compared to the rest of the state. According to K-State Research and Extension, Russell County has the fourth highest cancer mortality rate per 100,000 population and colorectal cancer rate. Lincoln County has the highest prostate cancer rate and the third-highest lung and bronchus cancer rate. Researchers say they have checked for the usual culprits, such as high alcohol and tobacco use or limited colon cancer screenings, and those do not appear to be the reason for the high cancer rates. Now, they want to check for other potential causes. “We think that groundwater contamination and high radon levels might be at the center of the problem,” the Johnson Cancer Research Center at K-State said in a news release. The researchers will sample water and air in Russell, Lincoln and Ellsworth counties. Ellsworth County will serve as the control in the study. It is right next to Russell and Lincoln counties but does not have high cancer rates. Radon is a radioactive gas often found in homes. It works its way up from the ground, through cracks in the foundation, and becomes trapped in homes. It is called a silent killer because you can’t see, taste or smell it. One in four Kansas homes has high levels of radon.
Source: KSN-TV
