Dr Amir Khan's cancer warning as he says don't ignore bloating

A doctor has urged anyone experiencing a common symptom to seek medical help. Bloating that lasts three weeks or more should not be ignored. In a recent episode of his No Appointment Necessary podcast, Doctor Amir Khan shared some advice about spotting ovarian cancer symptoms. As its name suggests, ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the ovaries. Therefore, anyone with ovaries can be affected. You can still get ovarian cancer if you've had your ovaries removed because it can also affect your fallopian tubes, or the lining inside your abdomen (peritoneum). Ovarian cancer is most prevalent in women over the age of 50. According to Cancer Research UK, it is the sixth most common form of cancer among women in the UK and accounts for more than 4,000 deaths every year. Speaking with his co-host Cherry Healey, Dr Amir - who is best known for his appearances on ITV , said that the signs can be “easily” dismissed. Cherry said: “Ovarian cancer - cancer of the ovaries, which is called the ‘silent cancer’ because there aren't that many warning signs. “ Dr Amir responded: “Yeah, I'm not sure I quite like that term the ‘silent cancer’. There are symptoms but the symptoms are not very specific to the ovaries so they feel like they could be coming from somewhere else. “But also they're easily dismiss, not just by the lady, but also by doctors as well.” More specifically, he urged people to get checked if they have unexplained bloating. “If you've got unexplained gas or a feeling of being bloated, for three weeks or more and you are, the official guidance is 40 in Europe - I would say 35 or above anything, that is unexplained or persistent, and by that, I mean there's no other obvious cause, it's been going on for three weeks or more, go and get that checked out.” A caption of a clip from the podcast shared to Instagram added: “There’s no such thing as ‘just bloating’ when symptoms persist. Ovarian cancer is often called the ‘silent cancer’, but as Dr Amir & Cherry discuss, there are symptoms. The problem is they’re easy to dismiss. “If you’ve had unexplained bloating, gas, or discomfort for three weeks or more, don’t ignore it. Get it checked.” On its website, the NHS warns that the signs of ovarian cancer are “not always obvious”. This means the disease is often treated “late”. The main symptoms of ovarian cancer include frequently (roughly 12 or more times a month) having: 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 Other symptoms of ovarian cancer can include: Indigestion Constipation or diarrhoea Back pain Feeling tired all the time Losing weight without trying Bleeding from the vagina after the menopause You should see a GP if you experience any of these symptoms. The NHS continues: “These symptoms are very common and can be caused by many different conditions. “But it's still important to get them checked by a GP. This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early can mean it's more treatable.” It adds: “It's important to get any symptoms of ovarian cancer checked as soon as possible. Finding it early can mean it's more treatable.”