There are more than 200 types of cancer that can affect the body. As would be expected many of the accompanying symptoms are typically linked to the part of the body that is diseased.
For example, a common sign of lung cancer is a cough and a symptom of bowel cancer is blood in your stool. However, this is not always the case.
Sometimes symptoms of cancer can seem completely unrelated to where the disease is growing.
This was the case for Dr Amy Morris, a researcher and cancer survivor. Speaking via TikTok she revealed the unusual warning sign that sparked a potentially lifesaving diagnosis.
The founder of The Cancer Free Program, revealed the only symptom she experienced as a result of ovarian cancer – and it was “not what you think”.
She said: “I have to share with you the main symptom that I had of ovarian cancer that actually caused me to go to the doctor and be examined, and this symptom is not what you think.
“When we hear about the symptoms of ovarian cancer, we often think, OK, bloating, painful sex, changes in your bowel, changes in your period.
“But this was not what happened to me and actually, this is not why I went to the doctor.
“I really didn’t have any other symptoms aside from this one thing and it was this one thing only that triggered me to go to my family physician.”
This symptom was heartburn.
“I had this new onset heartburn,” she said. “It came out of nowhere, and I had it constantly, all the time.
“No matter what I ate, I constantly had heartburn.
“I didn’t have any bloating, no changes in my period, no changes in my bowels, no weight gain, nothing like that.”
Luckily this was enough to prompt her to seek medical advice.
She added: “It was really just heartburn. And between that and my intuition, that’s what pushed me to go see my doctor and get myself checked out.”
Heartburn may seem like an unlikely symptom of ovarian cancer but it is listed by various health organisations as one to look out for.
On its website, the East Texas Hope Cancer Centre says: “You may experience frequent heartburn or gas for months leading up to an ovarian cancer diagnosis.
“This is common among ovarian cancer patients who tend to experience general discomfort in the abdomen, including bloating and gas.”
The NHS also lists indigestion as a symptom. Heartburn is a type of indigestion.
However, if you are experiencing heartburn it is more likely caused by something you have eaten or drank such as coffee, alcohol or spicy foods.
Other symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
- A swollen tummy or feeling bloated
- Pain or tenderness in your tummy or the area between the hips (pelvis)
- No appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
- An urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Back pain
- Feeling tired all the time
- Losing weight without trying
- Bleeding from the vagina after the menopause.