The future of cancer research in Iowa is uncertain—and lives are on the line

The future of cancer research in Iowa is uncertain—and lives are on the line

Iowa cancer patients are desperate for better screenings, treatments, and cures. Researchers are desperate to find them. So what’s the holdup? Brittney Stepanek and Jenni Winterhof, both of Cedar Rapids, share a bond forged by tragedy. Both lost their husbands—Stephen and Chad, respectively—in 2023 to glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer with only a 5.7% chance of five-year survival “Really there’s nothing out there that will—for brain cancer—ef…