Symptoms of Colon Cancer in Women

Symptoms of colon cancer in women include diarrhea, constipation, unintended weight loss, and bloody stools. While these are the same for anyone with colon cancer, symptoms in women may be misattributed to digestive disorders that affect them more often than men.

Some more subtle symptoms of colon cancer in women may also be mistaken for gynecological or menstrual issues.

This article reviews the symptoms of colon cancer in women and discusses risk factors to be aware of. It also explains the importance of colon cancer screenings and when you may need to see a healthcare provider.

Common Symptoms of Colon Cancer in Women

Not every woman experiences early symptoms of colon cancer. Symptoms that do occur can vary depending on the size and location of the cancer.

Possible symptoms of colon cancer include:

• Changes in bowel habits that last longer than a few days. This may include a change to the consistency of stools, diarrhea, or constipation.
• Bright red bleeding from the rectum
• Bloody stools that may make stools appear brown or black
• Pain or cramping in the abdomen
• Unintended weight loss
• Weakness and fatigue
• Incomplete bowel movements

You should discuss any symptoms with your healthcare provider, especially if you have risk factors like a family history of colon cancer.

Advanced-Stage Symptoms

If left undiagnosed, colon cancer can lead to complications and serious symptoms.

These include:

• Cancer that metastasizes, or spreads, to the lymph nodes
• Cancer that spreads to other organs in the body, such as the liver
• Blockages in the colon, causing bowel obstructions

Confusion With Gynecological Issues

Some of the symptoms of colon cancer in women that may be mistaken for normal symptoms of menstruation or other gynecological issues include:

• Changes to bowel habits, diarrhea, and constipation that are also common during menstruation
• Abdominal cramping that could be mistaken for menstrual cramps
• Feelings of tiredness that could be dismissed as being due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

The median age of diagnosis of colon cancer in females is 71, compared with 67 in males. When you include rectal cancer, the median age is 69 for females and 66 for males.

Though colon cancer is more likely to affect older people who are no longer menstruating, the number of people under age 50 who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer is on the rise.

Between 2012 and 2016, the incidence of colorectal cancer increased by 2% every year in those younger than 50, and 1% every year in those ages 50 to 64.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Any changes to bowel habits, bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stools, abdominal discomfort, and unintended weight loss are all symptoms that should be discussed with your healthcare provider.

If you have risk factors for colon cancer, discuss colon cancer screening options with your healthcare provider.

Colon Cancer Screening

The American Cancer Society recommends that women and men with an average risk for colon cancer begin regular colon cancer screening at the age of 45. For those with risk factors like a family history of colon cancer, your healthcare provider may advise beginning screening earlier.

Screening allows healthcare providers to find colon cancer even if a person isn’t experiencing symptoms. Colon cancer often begins with abnormal growths in the colon called polyps.

Screening tests, like colonoscopy, can find these polyps before they become cancerous. This allows your healthcare provider, typically a gastroenterology specialist, to remove them before they become an issue. Regular screening also allows healthcare providers to find cancer in the colon early when treatments are most effective.

Even if you are under the recommended age for screening, your healthcare provider may advise you to begin regular screening due to your risk factors.

Risk Factors

There are a number of risk factors that may increase the chance of developing colon cancer. If you have any of these risk factors, you should discuss options with your healthcare provider.

Risk factors for colon cancer fall into two categories: those that can be changed and those that can’t.

Risk factors that can be changed include lifestyle-related factors, such as:

• Being overweight or obese
• Being sedentary and not exercising regularly
• Eating diet high in red meat or processed meats
• Being low in vitamin D
• Smoking
• Using alcohol, even light to moderate use

Some risk factors, however, cannot be changed. These include:

• Being older
• Having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis
• A family history of colon cancer or polyps
• A personal history of polyps
• Being African-American
• Having Lynch syndrome, a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome

The lifetime risk for colorectal cancer for people with Lynch syndrome might be as high as 50%, depending on the genes impacted. Women with Lynch syndrome are also at a very high risk for cancer in the endometrium (lining of the uterus).  

Whether you have risk factors you can modify through lifestyle changes or risk factors that are beyond your control, it is important to discuss your risk and any symptoms with your healthcare provider.

A Word From Verywell

Symptoms of colon cancer in women may be similar to those associated with menstruation or other digestive disorders, so it will help you to know them. Speak with your healthcare provider if you have concerns, and follow recommendations for colon cancer screenings. You'll also want to consider lifestyle changes that may lower your risk.