(Radio Iowa) – State Senator Catelin Drey of Sioux City says she’s been diagnosed with stage one uterine cancer and will undergo surgery today (Tuesday). Drey was elected to the Iowa Senate last year in a special election held to fill the vacancy created when Senator Rocky De Witt died of pancreatic cancer.”The irony of being elected because my predecessor passed away from this horrible disease is not lost on me,” Drey said “Ignoring the environment that Senator De Witt and I shared is a disservice to our constituents. Silence is what perpetuates bad systems.”

Drey announced her diagnosis on the Senate floor yesterday (Monday). “I have insurance. I don’t have to worry about how to pay my bills. I have people who can drive me, provide child care and fill the gaps while I recover. Many Iowans do not have that full stack of support which is why I refuse to be quiet about this,” Drey said. “We live in Iowa, unfortunately the cancer capital of the country, and yet we continue to tolerate policies that make early detection harder, treatment more expensive, and recovery more precarious.”

Drey says initial tests have indicated the cancer has not spread, but after her hysterectomy, her doctors will determine if she needs additional surgery and if chemotherapy or radiation is necessary. “This diagnosis did not come out of nowhere for me,” Drey said. “Given my family history and the environment in which I live it felt less like a remote possibility and more like a foregone conclusion.” Sioux City recently received over half a million dollars from 3M and DuPont to address drinking water contamination.

“I am not interested in pretending this is just a private medical matter. It is a public policy failure playing out in my body,” Drey said. “I am going to be transparent, not because I owe anyone my vulnerability, but because sunlight is a tool, and I intend to use every tool available to me.”

The latest report indicates Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the country and is one of only two states where the cancer rate is rising. The Iowa Cancer Registry will provide updated information in a few weeks.