About 75 percent of oral cancers are caused by smoking and drinking alcohol. Oral cancer is lethal more often than it needs to be because people tend to ignore symptoms.

大约75%的口腔癌是由吸烟和饮酒引起的。口腔癌的致死性之所以比该病应有致死性高，是因为人们常常忽视了症状。

Your doctor has given you the lowdown on how to protect yourself against breast, colon, and lung cancer: Get yearly mammograms (check) and regular colonoscopies (check), and don't smoke (double check). But when was the last time she asked if you had any persistent mouth sores, unexplained fevers or joint pain, or discomfort during sex?

你的医生已告诉过你如何保护自己免受乳房癌、结肠癌以及肺癌的威协，即：每年进行乳房X光片检查，定期进行结肠镜检查，并且不要吸烟（重复检查）。但是，你是否患有任何顽固性口腔溃疡？是否无缘无故地发烧或关节疼痛？是否在性生活中有不适感？她最后一次问你这些问题是什么时候？

These can be symptoms of three cancers — oral, leukemia, and endometrial — that don't get the attention they deserve. Even though they are among the most common cancers affecting women over age 55, these diseases can fall through the cracks as doctors focus on the biggest killers hogging the health headlines, says Elmer Huerta, MD, MPH, president of the American Cancer Society.

这些表现可能是口腔癌、白血病及子宫内膜癌这三种癌症的症状，这些症状没有得到应有重视。即使它们是影响55岁以上妇女健康最常见的癌症，这些病也会被人们忽视，因为医生观注的是写在健康标题之上的最大杀手。美国癌症协会主席、公共卫生硕士、医学博士、埃尔默*怀尔特如是说。

 Read more for the facts behind these quiet dangers — and the simple ways you can protect yourself.

请阅读以下内容，以了解这些悄无声息的危险背后的真相和自我保护的简易方法。

Oral cancer

口腔癌

Your risk: 1 in 98, with diagnoses peaking between the ages of 55 and 65. Oral cancer is lethal more often than it needs to be because people tend to ignore symptoms (it's typically caught in late stages).

风险为九十八分之一，年龄处于55岁到65岁之间发现的最多。口腔癌的致死性之所以比该病应有致死性高，是因为人们常常忽视了症状（常常在晚期才发现）。

Stay healthy: Watch your mouth: See a dentist or doctor about any sore in your mouth or on your lips that doesn't clear up in 2 weeks. A change in color or persistent pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in your mouth or on your lips should also prompt a fast visit.

保持健康：观察你的嘴：如果口内或嘴唇上的任何溃疡两星期后未消除，请到牙医或医生处就诊。口内或嘴唇上任何地方颜色发生改变，或出现顽固性疼痛，或触痛，或麻木等，也应立即就医。

Curb your vices: About 75 percent of oral cancers are caused by smoking and drinking alcohol. When such habits were considered unladylike, men with oral cancer outnumbered women 6 to 1, says Sol Silverman Jr., DDS, a professor of oral medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry. "But in the last 50 years, the incidence in women has soared — now the ratio is two men to every woman." Limit your intake to one drink per day.

革除陋习：大约75%的口腔癌是由吸烟和饮酒引起的。旧金山加利福尼亚大学牙科学院口腔医学教授、国外学位获得者、小索尔*塞尔费曼（Sol Silverman Jr.）说：“在人们认为此类习惯有违妇道的年月，患口腔癌的男性人数超过女性1到6倍。但是，在最近的五十年中，女性的发病率激增，现在男女的比率为2比1。”限制你自己每天只喝一杯酒。

Guard your lips: They need protection, too. Sunscreen isn't exactly tasty, so choose a balm with SPF and then apply your favorite gloss or lipstick.

保护双唇：嘴唇也需要保护。防晒霜的味道的确不怎么样，因此，先挑选一种含SPF的油膏，然后再抹上你最喜欢的光亮剂或唇膏。

The good news: Researchers at Ohio State University recently found that phytochemicals extracted from Hass avocados could kill or stop the growth of oral cancer cells. The study was done in test tubes, but there's no need to wait for confirmation — bring on the guacamole!

好消息：俄亥俄州立大学的研究人员最近发现，从Hass鳄梨中淬取的植物化学物质，能杀死口腔癌细胞或阻止其生长。这项研究是在试管中进行的，但是，不必等待其确认，食用色拉调味酱即可。

Leukemia

白血病

Your risk: Many think of it as a children's disease, but the biggest jump in cases occurs between ages 55 and 74.

风险：许多人都认为这是一种儿童疾病，但是该病例的猛增发生在55岁到74岁之间。

Stay healthy: Note any symptoms If you find yourself extremely pale or bruising easily, or if your gums bleed (more than is normal if you neglect to floss), it's time to get checked out. Extreme fatigue, unexplained fevers, and bone or joint pain are other common symptoms.

保持健康：如果你发现自己面色极度苍白或容易擦伤，或发现牙龈出血（如果没有剔牙，且比正常情况下出血多），那就该进行检查了。极度疲劳，无缘无故地发烧，骨头或关节疼痛，是另外的常见症状。

Avoid unnecessary scans: CT scans are a great diagnostic tool, but they deliver much more radiation than X-rays and may be overused, says Barton Kamen, MD, PhD, chief medical officer for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In fact, researchers suggest that one-third of CT scans could be unnecessary. High doses of radiation can trigger leukemia, so make sure scans are not repeated if you see multiple doctors, and ask if another test, such as an ultrasound or MRI, could substitute.

避免不必要的扫描：白血病及淋巴瘤学会首席医学官员、医学博士巴顿*克曼（Barton Kamen）说，CT扫描是一种重要的诊断工具，但辐射比X光大得多，还可能被过度使用。实际上，研究人员提出意见说，三分之一的CT扫描都是多余的。大剂量的辐射能引发白血病。因此，在多科就诊时，一定要保证不要重复扫描，并且要询问可否用另一种测试来替代，如超声波或核磁共振等。

The good news: The 5-year survival rate for all people with leukemia has more than tripled in recent decades, from about 14 percent in the 1960s to about 65 percent today. "New advancements now help us determine who is a good candidate for a bone marrow transplant and who might respond better to other therapies," says Kamen. "The result is more targeted treatment and better outcomes."

好消息：所有白血病患者的5年生存率，在最近几十年已增至3倍，从六十年代的14%左右增加到现在的65%。克曼说：“如今，新的进步有助于我们判断骨髓移植的合适人选以及谁对治疗的反应较好。其结果是治疗更具针对性且疗效较好。

Endometrial (uterine) cancer

子宫内膜（子宫）癌

Your risk: 1 in 40. This is the fourth most common type of cancer in women — 90 percent of cases occur in women over age 50. You're more vulnerable if you're toting extra weight: Obese women are two to three times as likely to develop the disease. "Fat acts like another gland, which increases the levels of estrogen and other hormones in your system. That stimulates the growth of abnormal tissues," says Huerta.

风险为40分之1。这是妇女中第四类最常见的癌症，90%的病例发生在50岁以上的妇女中间。如果体重过大，则易受到该病的侵袭。肥胖妇女患此病的可能性为3到4倍。怀尔特说：“脂肪如同另一个腺体，它增加了机体中雌激素和其它激素的水平，这就刺激了异常组织的生长。”

Stay healthy: Mention any unusual bleeding. More than 80 percent of endometrial cancers are found in the earliest, most treatable stages because this symptom tends to send women promptly to their doctors. If you notice any vaginal bleeding after menopause or bleeding between your periods, or if you experience pelvic pain, especially during intercourse, tell your doctor immediately.

保持健康：注意任何异常出血。80%以上的子宫内膜癌在早期，也就是最可治疗的阶段就被发现，因为这一症状往往促使妇女立刻就医。如果你觉察到绝经后有任何阴道出血现象，或月经之间出血，如果你经历盆腔疼痛，特别是在性生活中，立即告诉你的医生。

Know your family history: "The same genetic mutation that puts people at increased risk of colon cancer also ups their odds of getting endometrial cancer," says Edward L. Trimble, MD, MPH, head of Gynecologic Cancer Therapeutics at the National Cancer Institute. If you have a parent or sibling with that disease, get screened yearly for endometrial cancer starting at 30.

了解你的家族史：国家癌症研究所的妇科癌症治疗学领导人、公共健康硕士、医学博士、爱德华L*特林布尔（Edward L. Trimble）说：“增大了患结肠癌风险的基因突变还提高了人们患子宫内膜癌的风险。”如果你的父母或兄弟姐妹中有一人患有此病，请你从30岁起每年进行一次子宫内膜癌检查。

Move more all day: In a recent report on more than 250,000 women, those who exercised several hours daily reduced their risk of endometrial cancer by up to 52 percent, probably because staying active reduces estrogen levels while helping you maintain a healthy weight. Exercise frequency mattered more than intensity — light housework, gardening, and walking are enough.

一天到晚多运动：最近一份关于250000 名妇女的研究报告中称，每天锻炼数小时者，患子宫内膜癌的风险降低了52%，这或许是因为保持活跃状态降低雌激素水平，同时有助于保持健康的体重。锻炼的频率胜于强度，做少量的家务、栽花种草以及散步等活动足矣。

Avoid iron: A Swedish study has found that taking iron supplements after menopause raises the risk of endometrial cancer by 70 percent. After age 50, the daily recommendation for iron drops from 18 mg per day to 8 mg, an amount easily obtained from food.

避免补铁：瑞士的一项研究发现，绝经后补铁增加患子宫内膜癌的风险达70％。50岁后，每日推荐铁摄入量从１８毫克降至８毫克，这是一个容易从食物中获得的量。

The good news: In the same study, calcium supplements halved endometrial cancer risk. (Researchers aren't sure why, but eating high-calcium dairy products didn't provide the same benefit.) Experts recommend that postmenopausal women consume up to 1,000 mg of calcium a day, and 1,200 mg after age 70.

好消息：在同一研究中，补钙使患子宫内膜癌的风险降低50％。（研究人员不知其所以然，但食用奶制品不能产生同样的益处）。专家建议，绝经后的妇女每天摄入1000毫克的钙；70岁之后，每天摄入量为1200毫克。