America's cancer capitals for men

The Mormons may be onto something. (No, not polygamy—that ended in 1890.) Salt Lake City is our pick for the most cancer-free zone in the nation. Credit the Mormons' no-smoking and no-drinking policy, plus the fact that the city is religious about outdoor sports. See, lung cancer causes nearly 30 percent of deaths from untamed tumors, and a report from the World Cancer Research Fund shows that lifestyle changes, such as limiting alcohol and exercising regularly, can help prevent a third of cancers.

First, we analyzed data on smoking, exercise, obesity, drinking, and fruit and vegetable consumption (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Then we factored in cities' UV indexes (Accuweather.com) and cancer incidence (National Cancer Institute). Last, we went to the CDC to see who's being tested for colon and breast cancer, plus how many people have fallen to the big C.

10 Least Cancerous Cities 10 Most Cancerous Cities
Salt Lake City Jacksonville, Fla.
Burlington, Vt. Philadelphia
Seattle Oklahoma City
Aurora, Colo. Las Vegas
Atlanta Indianapolis
Yonkers, N.Y. Columbus, Ohio
Oakland, Calif. Birmingham, Ala.
New York City Memphis, Tenn.
Fremont, Calif. Baltimore
Minneapolis St. Louis

Invest in Your Life

We already have a powerful weapon in the war against cancer: cash. No, money can't tame a prostate tumor, but it can help address the imbalance in federal funding for cancer research. In 2007, only 8 percent of funds in the National Cancer Institute's budget were spent on detection and diagnosis. While it's critical that scientists find a cure, we also need better ways to spot cancer in its earliest stages. Give to the Canary Foundation, a group that donates all proceeds to detection research.

Dye, Cancer!

Doctors can't defeat colon cancer if they can't find it. Enter chromoendoscopy, a procedure in which a person's colon walls are dyed before a colonoscopy. Harvard scientists found that this method revealed precancerous polyps in a third of people who'd been cleared after a regular screening. Ask your doctor about the test.