I'm a Top Oncologist: 5 Women’s Health Symptoms I’d Never Ignore

How many times have you ignored a niggle in your body? A nagging headache, bloating, fatigue: as women, in particular, we’re experts at gaslighting ourselves when it comes to our health—and it’s no secret that the medical profession doesn’t exactly fill us with confidence when it comes to reporting our concerns.

The statistics do the talking: medical misogyny is a very real problem. Studies (like this one, from the journal Women's Health Reports) show that not only have women been overlooked in medical research for decades, but we’re also routinely dismissed in real life, too. A 2022 Government survey revealed that over 84 percent of women feel they’re not listened to by medical professionals, while conditions that are exclusive to women take years longer to diagnose (endometriosis, for example, has an average nine-year diagnosis time).

It’s a universal fact, however, that early detection of any kind of medical issue is categorically a good thing, whether it’s nipping something in the bud or, at worst, a life-changing diagnosis. Advocating for ourselves is key to tackling the gender health gap, and this starts at home. It’s time we fought back against gaslighting ourselves and overlooking red flag symptoms.

With this in mind, we asked top oncologists for the women’s health symptoms they never ignore—and that we shouldn’t, either. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know, and don’t miss our guides to the low-iron signs in women, how AI is impacting women's health, plus what your hormones do in 72 hours, here.

One thing to note: we’re not telling you to fixate on every last symptom. Health anxiety is very real, and if you’re concerned about your mental health, always seek professional medical guidance.

We Asked Top Oncologists: 5 Women’s Health Symptoms They Never Overlook

Ever wondered why women overlook health signs and symptoms? It would take an awful lot more space (and time) than we have available here to do a deep dive into why women have been gaslit, medically speaking.

What we do know is that once we’ve felt dismissed or unheard, it makes us think twice about going to the doctors—especially for what we perceive as a minor ailment.

The experts are quick to reassure us here, though. “There are many changes that happen through a woman’s life that can lead to health symptoms,” agrees Rachel Rawson, lead cancer specialist nurse at Perci Health. “It can often be difficult to know when and what to report to your GP. While it’s important to note that most of the time, these changes are caused by something that is not cancer, they should always be checked.”

“Many of us are good at explaining symptoms away,” agrees GP at Pall Mall Medical, Dr Chinelo Ojukwu. “We put bloating down to a big lunch and tiredness down to a busy week, and this might often be the case. But if something is new and won’t go away, or simply doesn’t feel right, listen to what your body’s telling you. Noticing a change is never wasting a doctor’s time.”

1. Breast Changes

“With breasts, lumps tend to get all the attention,” notes Dr Ojukwu. “But dimpled skin, a nipple that’s turned inwards, discharge, a rash or swelling in your armpit matter just as much. Know your normal, and you’ll notice when something changes. It’s the same with your skin; see your GP if a mole changes shape, size or colour, or starts to bleed or itch, or if a mark won’t heal.”

She goes on: “It’s also helpful to snap a photo on your phone so you can track it.”

As a general rule of thumb, it's prudent to be aware of the following:

• A lump or thickening in your breast.
• A lump in your armpit.
• Nipple changes, such as discharge, a nipple turning inward, or a rash.
• Skin changes, such as dimpling, redness, or skin that looks like orange peel.

2. Persistent Bloating

“Persistent bloating, feeling full unusually quickly, and discomfort in the pelvis or abdomen deserve attention because they can be symptoms of ovarian cancer,” advises GP, women’s health expert and co-founder of Coyne Medical, Dr Lucy Hooper.

“All of these symptoms are really easy to overlook, especially if you have food intolerances, are prone to constipation or are menopausal. But if they’re new for you, keep coming back, or you’re feeling unsure, book an appointment. Ovarian cancer can also cause urinary symptoms that are easily labelled as cystitis or a bladder infection.”

“Many women will experience these symptoms occasionally and find that they pass, and most women with them won’t have cancer. But just because there could be a harmless explanation doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do some checks, which may include a CA125 blood test, to investigate.”

3. Low Iron and Rectal Bleeding

Many of us are reluctant to trot to our GP to openly talk about poo. But this is one area that can be indicative of more serious issues, so the experts urge us to trade our embarrassment for an abundance of caution.

“Rectal bleeding and low iron are other findings I don’t want women to brush aside,” continues Dr Hooper. “Yes, you might get bleeding after opening your bowels from piles, which is also called haemorrhoids. And yes, heavy periods might be the reason you’re iron deficient.”

She goes on: “But we should still establish the cause, especially if your symptoms persist, you have other symptoms such as a changing bowel habit, or your iron levels keep dropping despite taking supplements.”

And don’t rule bowel cancer out just because you're young, cautions Dr Hooper. “Bowel cancer rates are increasing in younger people, so being young doesn’t rule it out or give you a reason to forget about your symptoms.”

“FIT stands for faecal immunochemical test. It’s a simple, easy stool test: you take your sample at home, it goes off to the lab, and it can detect tiny amounts of invisible blood in your stool to help decide whether you should have further checks. As with any test, a negative result doesn’t mean you should ignore other symptoms. A high result means further checks are needed.”

Remember this, says Hooper: “No one should keep buying pile creams or suppositories at the pharmacy, or always dosing up on iron supplements, without us checking whether there’s anything else going on.”

4. Bleeding Changes

We’re pretty used to blood, us women. But out-of-the-ordinary bleeding can still be a sign of something more sinister going on, and warrants a trip to your GP.

There are three scenarios in particular that it’s vital to follow up on, Rawson explains. “Firstly, any bleeding after the menopause should be investigated. Any bleeding or spotting a year or more after your periods have stopped needs checking, even if it happens only once.”

Next? “It’s not unusual to have bleeding when you are not expecting it in the first few months of taking HRT,” she continues. “However, if you experience unexpected bleeding that does not fit the pattern you were told to expect, or doesn’t settle, this should be checked.”

And finally, “bleeding after sex or between periods can be a sign of changes in the cervix (neck of the womb),” she advises. “It’s important to have your cervical smear test when called.”

5. Non-Specific Worries

Of course, there are a plethora of signs and symptoms that we attribute to ordinary causes every day, and we can’t possibly worry about every single one. The important thing, the experts note, is to know what's normal for you, and be dogged in advocating for yourself where needed.

That said, which signs are a whisper rather than a scream? “Some signs are less specific,” shares Dr Ojukwu. “Losing weight without trying, or exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix, shouldn’t be ignored, especially if you’ve noticed other changes, too.”

“Aside from breast changes and bleeding after the menopause, which warrant an appointment straight away, new symptoms that don't settle after three or four weeks should be checked by your GP. It’s best to get your answers early on, so that if it’s something serious, it can be dealt with as soon as possible.”

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