Colon polyps can be harmless, or a symptom-free precursor to cancer. So keeping these nasty little growths from developing in the first place is a smart way to stay healthy. Research just out finds that one of the benefits from exercising is it may be enough to hold off those cancerous colon polyps. As little as an hour of exercise weekly reduces your risk, especially if you're already overweight or obese.

Anyone can have colon polyps, especially if you're over 50, are a smoker or overweight, eat a diet high in fat, low in fiber, or have a family history of polyps or colon cancer.

Most often colon polyps don't have any symptoms and are found during regular screening where they can be removed and tested. In the later stages colon cancer can be fatal, so early detection is key.

The research on polyps and exercise focused on just about 1,000 patients at a municipal hospital serving a diverse community, all of varying ethnic and racial groups, Hispanic, Asian, black and white, all middle aged and with no elevated risk for either colon polyps or cancer. Almost two thirds were considered overweight. About half were active for at least one hour per week.

A screening questionnaire helped find participants who were not at a higher risk for colon cancer. After screening colonoscopies the team from New York City's Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital, found polyps in 33% of patients who exercised less than an hour each week, compared to 25% of patients who exercised for an hour (or more) per week.

The activity we're talking about here wasn't anything out of the ordinary - walking, climbing stairs and the like.

This surprisingly small amount of exercise cut the chance of adenomas in those who were classed as overweight and black. The cancer risk also went down for black study participants. Exercise, over time (a period of three years was used in the research), provided increased protection from the colon polyps.

The benefits even hold across weight ranges and ethnic groups. And while there's been research in this area many times over, not many studies have looked at how exercise effects a multi-ethnic population. African-Americans are heavily effected by colon cancer, as are the overweight or obese.

The researchers tell us these findings aren't anything new, but rather confirmation of what healthcare pros have been telling us all along - get moving. It's not just good for those cancerous colon polyps, but for all parts of the body. No one knows there are benefits from exercising, though there are plenty of theories. Not to mention figuring out which exercises, and what intensity, bring the most benefit to the body. The good news is that even if you don't have lots of time in your life... or the resources to join a gym or hire a personal trainer, simple, everyday activity can really help your body. Totally do-able for most of us.

By Kirsten Whittaker

Most women would be surprised to know that mammograms, the traditional screening method for breast cancer, only detects cancerous tumors after they have formed. Thus it really doesn’t “prevent” breast cancer.

Breast cancer detection involves a number of things, and no one diagnostic tool does it all. They all have their place and should be used in a way that best suits the patient and her situation. Let me tell you a bit about infrared thermography and how it fits into that picture.

Cancerous tumors have an abnormal cellular metabolism. In simple terms their energy systems work differently than a healthy cell. They have a metabolism that is dependant on glucose (or sugar) and thus require a network of vascular tissue (blood vessels) to enable them to survive.

The development of this vascular network is called angeogenesis, and it is a very early indicator that a tumor is present in the tissues. It appears even before signs of breast cancer are detectable by either self-exams or mammograms.

Infra red thermography is a thermal imaging technique that detects varying levels of heat energy in breast tissue. These variations in heat signature can indicate the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to support them.

This technique has been largely ignored and downplayed by the medical establishment. This is because it is possible to get a false positive result from thermal imaging such that a suspected signs of breast cancer never develop into a tumor.

However, this is a poor reason for ignoring such an effective and important diagnostic tool. The emphasis should be on the use of thermal imaging as part of the diagnostic strategy for breast cancer detection, rather than the only diagnostic tool used.

The non-invasive nature of thermographic imaging and the fact that it can be used with absolute safety on women from a young age are important as well. Doctors can screen for potential future cancers, without subjecting a young patient to radiation.

Infra red thermography is not a miracle and it is not claimed to replace other methods of breast cancer detection, but it can raise an early warning that will give a woman time to try and prevent the development of breast cancer.

Early Detection of Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Detection - Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer detection is crucial in finding and treating breast cancer. Many people simply react to the symptoms of breast cancer, which at that point is often too late. Therefore it can make a life changing difference (literally) to be taught effective breast cancer detection techniques so that you stand the best possible chance of fighting the cancer from day one.

After all, most cancers can be cured when they are dealt with early enough. One way is breast cancer screening. Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread.

It is easier to treat the cancer patient when found in time. Early detection of breast cancer means that you can find breast cancer and start treating it before it has time to grow and spread.

The cure is very promising when finding breast cancer in its early stages. If you don’t get early screening for breast cancer and get the pain or symptoms of breast cancer then the cancer may have started to grow larger and even could have spread out beyond the breast. This is why early detection is so important in finding breast cancer at its earliest stage.

When breast cancer is found during early exams it is most likely to be in the breast and smaller in size, not having the time to grow larger and spread out beyond the breast. If it is found later on then it may have had the time to get larger and spread beyond the breast.

This can be prevented if you decide to get early detection for breast cancer. Early detection can find the cancer before it can grow larger in size causing more problems. The size of breast cancer that is detected and how much it has spread is how a doctor will determine the outlook for a patient.

Breast cancer detection can save many lives every year. If you go to get early screening and can get other people you know to get screened for breast cancer then you can help to save lives. Getting your loved ones and friends to get early screening may also help to save their lives.

Breast cancer that is detected early and treated at that time is more likely to be removed with success.