Recognizing the signs and symptoms of cancer is important because early diagnosis and intervention can be lifesaving. It’s also essential to stay current with cancer screening such asmammograms,Pap smears, andcolon cancer screening.
This article reviews symptoms of cancer in women, including pelvic pain, bloating, low-back pain, abnormal vaginal bleeding and discharge, fever, night sweats, changes in bathroom habits, fatigue, and weight, vulva, and breast changes.
Pelvic Pain
Pain below the waist is normal near your period. But if it lasts longer than that, see a healthcare professional.
Pelvic pain (lower belly between the hips) is common forovarianandendometrial(a type of uterine cancer) but can also be experience with these cancers:
Recognizing Pelvic Pain
Constant Bloating
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Abdominal swelling and bloating aresymptoms of ovarian cancer.Lots of factors can cause your belly to bloat, so this is an easy symptom to overlook.
See a healthcare provider if bloating is so bad that you can’t button your pants or if you have to go up a size.
Causes of Abdominal Bloating
Low-Back Pain
Dirima/Getty Images
Low-back pain often feels like a dull ache or labor pains. Check with a healthcare provider if the pain doesn’t go away. It may be a symptom of ovarian cancer.
Causes of Lower Back and Thigh or Lower Leg Pain
Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding or Discharge
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Abnormal vaginal bleeding is a common symptom ofgynecologic cancer.Heavy periods, bleeding between periods, andbleeding during and after sexare reasons to seek medical care.
Bleeding here is linked to these cancers:
When to Worry About Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
Fever or Night Sweats
Sam Edwards / Getty Images
If a fever lasts longer than seven days on and off, talk to your healthcare provider.A stubborn fever or night sweats can be a sign of cancer, especially leukemia and lymphoma.
Keep in mind that lots of other health conditions also cause fevers.
What are Night Sweats?
Fever as a Cancer Symptom
Changes in Bathroom Habits
Domino/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Bowel habits can change from time to time. If you notice any of these changes, mention them to a healthcare provider:
These symptoms could be due to something you ate. This is especially true if you have:
However, there is also a chance they may be related to gynecologic cancers such as vaginal, ovarian, orcolon cancer.
Frequent or Urgent UrinationOvarian and vaginal cancer can also cause more frequent or urgent urination.
Frequent or Urgent Urination
Ovarian and vaginal cancer can also cause more frequent or urgent urination.
Weight Change
Image Source / Getty Images
Yourweight can go up and downthroughout the month. But if you lose 10 pounds or more without trying, talk to a healthcare provider.Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of the following types of cancer:
Weight gain and weight cycling can also raise the risk of cancer in women after menopause. Weight cycling is a pattern of gaining then losing weight.
Causes of Unexplained Weight Loss
Vulva Changes
BSIP/Getty Images
It’s a good idea to look at yourvulvaand vagina regularly. Look for symptoms of vulvar cancer like these:
Pelvic Pain After Urination or Sex
How to Perform a Vulvar Self Exam
Unusual Breast Changes
Ian Hootan/Getty Images
Changes in your breasts can indicate breast cancer. It is most common in women 50 years and older. Signs and symptoms to watch for during your monthly breast self-exam include:
If you notice any changes, discuss them with a healthcare professional right away.
How to Do a Breast Self Exam
Fatigue
Tara Moore/Taxi/Getty Images
Fatigue is a common cancer symptom. It’s more common when cancer is advanced, but it can occur in the early stages.Cancer fatigue is different from being overly tired. It doesn’t go away from a good night’s sleep or with caffeine. If fatigue keeps you from normal daily activities, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider.
While this is not an all-inclusive list, cancers that may cause fatigue include:
Fatigue as a Symptom of Cancer
Summary
Symptoms such as pelvic pain, bloating, lower back pain, abnormal vaginal bleeding, vulva changes, and unusual breast changes can indicate gynecological (specific to the female reproductive system) cancers.
Fever, night sweats, changes in bathroom habits, and weight changes can indicate cancers such as colon cancer, pancreatic, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and more.
A Word From Verywell
Early treatment raises your chances of surviving cancer. That’s why it’s so important to notice and seek care for changes like these.
If you have pain, bloating, fever, bleeding, or changes to your bathroom habits, talk to a healthcare professional. The same goes for changes in your breasts, vulva, weight, or energy levels.
Chances are, your symptoms aren’t cancer. But speaking up about them could lead to an early diagnosis and treatment if cancer is the culprit.
Frequently Asked QuestionsAccording to data from the National Cancer Institute, the top four cancers in women include breast, lung, colorectal, and skin.Many cancers including breast, ovarian, and colorectal, can be asymptomatic (without symptoms), especially in early stages. This is why regular screenings are important and genetic testing is often recommended for those at high risk.Because there are varying signs and symptoms of breast cancer, it’s important to know what is normal for you. This includes noting any pain, bloating, abnormal vaginal bleeding, fever, bathroom habits, weight loss, breast changes, and fatigue. Routine screenings such as breast self-exams, mammograms, Pap smears, genetic testing (for those at high risk), and colon cancer screening can help with early detection of cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to data from the National Cancer Institute, the top four cancers in women include breast, lung, colorectal, and skin.
Many cancers including breast, ovarian, and colorectal, can be asymptomatic (without symptoms), especially in early stages. This is why regular screenings are important and genetic testing is often recommended for those at high risk.
Because there are varying signs and symptoms of breast cancer, it’s important to know what is normal for you. This includes noting any pain, bloating, abnormal vaginal bleeding, fever, bathroom habits, weight loss, breast changes, and fatigue. Routine screenings such as breast self-exams, mammograms, Pap smears, genetic testing (for those at high risk), and colon cancer screening can help with early detection of cancer.
24 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of gynecologic cancers.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer.Rexhepi M, Trajkovska E, Ismaili H, Besimi F, Rufati N.Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a case report and literature review.Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2017;5(3):344-8. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2017.044Dilley J, Burnell M, Gentry-Maharaj A, et al.Ovarian cancer symptoms, routes to diagnosis and survival - Population cohort study in the ‘no screen’ arm of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS).Gynecol Oncol. 2020;158(2):316-322. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.05.002American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.Funston G, O’Flynn H, Ryan NAJ, Hamilton W, Crosbie EJ.Recognizing gynecological cancer in primary care: Risk factors, red flags, and referrals[published correction appears inAdv Ther. 2018 Apr 4;:].Adv Ther. 2018;35(4):577-589. doi:10.1007/s12325-018-0683-3Ames NJ, Powers JH, Ranucci A, et al.A systematic approach for studying the signs and symptoms of fever in adult patients: the fever assessment tool (FAST).Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017;15(1):84. doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0644-6Howell D, Warburton F, Ramirez A, Roman E, Smith A, Forbes L.Risk factors and time to symptomatic presentation in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.Br J Cancer.2015;113(7):1114-20. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.311Cancer Research UK.The cancer itself: Cancers that cause fever.Simon S.Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer. American Cancer Society.Catassi C, Alaedini A, Bojarski C, et al.The overlapping area of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and wheat-sensitive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): An update.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1268. doi:10.3390/nu9111268Bosch X, Monclús E, Escoda O, et al.Unintentional weight loss: Clinical characteristics and outcomes in a prospective cohort of 2677 patients.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0175125. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175125Nicholson B, Hamilton W, O’Sullivan J, Aveyard P, Hobbs F.Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.British Journal of General Practice. 2018;68(670):e311-e322. doi:10.3399/bjgp18X695801Welti LM, Beavers DP, Caan BJ, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Vitolins MZ, Beavers KM.Weight fluctuation and cancer risk in postmenopausal women: The women’s health initiative.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017;26(5):779–786. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0611Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of vaginal and vulvar cancers.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Sivarajah R, Welkie J, Mack J, Casas R, Paulishak M, Chetlen AL.A review of breast pain: Causes, imaging recommendations, and treatment. Journal of Breast Imaging. 2020;2(2):101-111. doi:10.1093/jbi/wbz082Bower JE.Cancer-related fatigue–mechanisms, risk factors, and treatments.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2014;11(10):597–609. doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.127Cancers Treatment Centers of America.What causes cancer fatigue (and what to do about it).Alfayyad I, Al-Tannir M, Yaqub M, et al.Clinically significant fatigue in adult leukemia patients: prevalence, predictors, and impact on quality of life. Cureus. 2020;12(12): e12245. doi:10.7759/cureus.1224NIH National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.Cancer stat facts: common cancer sites.NIH National Cancer Institute.Common cancer types.NIH National Cancer Institute.Cancer screening overview (PDQ) - Patient version.
24 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of gynecologic cancers.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer.Rexhepi M, Trajkovska E, Ismaili H, Besimi F, Rufati N.Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a case report and literature review.Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2017;5(3):344-8. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2017.044Dilley J, Burnell M, Gentry-Maharaj A, et al.Ovarian cancer symptoms, routes to diagnosis and survival - Population cohort study in the ‘no screen’ arm of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS).Gynecol Oncol. 2020;158(2):316-322. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.05.002American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.Funston G, O’Flynn H, Ryan NAJ, Hamilton W, Crosbie EJ.Recognizing gynecological cancer in primary care: Risk factors, red flags, and referrals[published correction appears inAdv Ther. 2018 Apr 4;:].Adv Ther. 2018;35(4):577-589. doi:10.1007/s12325-018-0683-3Ames NJ, Powers JH, Ranucci A, et al.A systematic approach for studying the signs and symptoms of fever in adult patients: the fever assessment tool (FAST).Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017;15(1):84. doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0644-6Howell D, Warburton F, Ramirez A, Roman E, Smith A, Forbes L.Risk factors and time to symptomatic presentation in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.Br J Cancer.2015;113(7):1114-20. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.311Cancer Research UK.The cancer itself: Cancers that cause fever.Simon S.Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer. American Cancer Society.Catassi C, Alaedini A, Bojarski C, et al.The overlapping area of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and wheat-sensitive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): An update.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1268. doi:10.3390/nu9111268Bosch X, Monclús E, Escoda O, et al.Unintentional weight loss: Clinical characteristics and outcomes in a prospective cohort of 2677 patients.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0175125. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175125Nicholson B, Hamilton W, O’Sullivan J, Aveyard P, Hobbs F.Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.British Journal of General Practice. 2018;68(670):e311-e322. doi:10.3399/bjgp18X695801Welti LM, Beavers DP, Caan BJ, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Vitolins MZ, Beavers KM.Weight fluctuation and cancer risk in postmenopausal women: The women’s health initiative.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017;26(5):779–786. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0611Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of vaginal and vulvar cancers.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Sivarajah R, Welkie J, Mack J, Casas R, Paulishak M, Chetlen AL.A review of breast pain: Causes, imaging recommendations, and treatment. Journal of Breast Imaging. 2020;2(2):101-111. doi:10.1093/jbi/wbz082Bower JE.Cancer-related fatigue–mechanisms, risk factors, and treatments.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2014;11(10):597–609. doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.127Cancers Treatment Centers of America.What causes cancer fatigue (and what to do about it).Alfayyad I, Al-Tannir M, Yaqub M, et al.Clinically significant fatigue in adult leukemia patients: prevalence, predictors, and impact on quality of life. Cureus. 2020;12(12): e12245. doi:10.7759/cureus.1224NIH National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.Cancer stat facts: common cancer sites.NIH National Cancer Institute.Common cancer types.NIH National Cancer Institute.Cancer screening overview (PDQ) - Patient version.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of gynecologic cancers.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer.Rexhepi M, Trajkovska E, Ismaili H, Besimi F, Rufati N.Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a case report and literature review.Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2017;5(3):344-8. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2017.044Dilley J, Burnell M, Gentry-Maharaj A, et al.Ovarian cancer symptoms, routes to diagnosis and survival - Population cohort study in the ‘no screen’ arm of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS).Gynecol Oncol. 2020;158(2):316-322. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.05.002American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.Funston G, O’Flynn H, Ryan NAJ, Hamilton W, Crosbie EJ.Recognizing gynecological cancer in primary care: Risk factors, red flags, and referrals[published correction appears inAdv Ther. 2018 Apr 4;:].Adv Ther. 2018;35(4):577-589. doi:10.1007/s12325-018-0683-3Ames NJ, Powers JH, Ranucci A, et al.A systematic approach for studying the signs and symptoms of fever in adult patients: the fever assessment tool (FAST).Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017;15(1):84. doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0644-6Howell D, Warburton F, Ramirez A, Roman E, Smith A, Forbes L.Risk factors and time to symptomatic presentation in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.Br J Cancer.2015;113(7):1114-20. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.311Cancer Research UK.The cancer itself: Cancers that cause fever.Simon S.Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer. American Cancer Society.Catassi C, Alaedini A, Bojarski C, et al.The overlapping area of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and wheat-sensitive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): An update.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1268. doi:10.3390/nu9111268Bosch X, Monclús E, Escoda O, et al.Unintentional weight loss: Clinical characteristics and outcomes in a prospective cohort of 2677 patients.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0175125. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175125Nicholson B, Hamilton W, O’Sullivan J, Aveyard P, Hobbs F.Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.British Journal of General Practice. 2018;68(670):e311-e322. doi:10.3399/bjgp18X695801Welti LM, Beavers DP, Caan BJ, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Vitolins MZ, Beavers KM.Weight fluctuation and cancer risk in postmenopausal women: The women’s health initiative.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017;26(5):779–786. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0611Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of vaginal and vulvar cancers.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Sivarajah R, Welkie J, Mack J, Casas R, Paulishak M, Chetlen AL.A review of breast pain: Causes, imaging recommendations, and treatment. Journal of Breast Imaging. 2020;2(2):101-111. doi:10.1093/jbi/wbz082Bower JE.Cancer-related fatigue–mechanisms, risk factors, and treatments.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2014;11(10):597–609. doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.127Cancers Treatment Centers of America.What causes cancer fatigue (and what to do about it).Alfayyad I, Al-Tannir M, Yaqub M, et al.Clinically significant fatigue in adult leukemia patients: prevalence, predictors, and impact on quality of life. Cureus. 2020;12(12): e12245. doi:10.7759/cureus.1224NIH National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.Cancer stat facts: common cancer sites.NIH National Cancer Institute.Common cancer types.NIH National Cancer Institute.Cancer screening overview (PDQ) - Patient version.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of gynecologic cancers.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer.
Rexhepi M, Trajkovska E, Ismaili H, Besimi F, Rufati N.Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a case report and literature review.Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2017;5(3):344-8. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2017.044
Dilley J, Burnell M, Gentry-Maharaj A, et al.Ovarian cancer symptoms, routes to diagnosis and survival - Population cohort study in the ‘no screen’ arm of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS).Gynecol Oncol. 2020;158(2):316-322. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.05.002
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Funston G, O’Flynn H, Ryan NAJ, Hamilton W, Crosbie EJ.Recognizing gynecological cancer in primary care: Risk factors, red flags, and referrals[published correction appears inAdv Ther. 2018 Apr 4;:].Adv Ther. 2018;35(4):577-589. doi:10.1007/s12325-018-0683-3
Ames NJ, Powers JH, Ranucci A, et al.A systematic approach for studying the signs and symptoms of fever in adult patients: the fever assessment tool (FAST).Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017;15(1):84. doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0644-6
Howell D, Warburton F, Ramirez A, Roman E, Smith A, Forbes L.Risk factors and time to symptomatic presentation in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.Br J Cancer.2015;113(7):1114-20. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.311
Cancer Research UK.The cancer itself: Cancers that cause fever.
Simon S.Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer. American Cancer Society.
Catassi C, Alaedini A, Bojarski C, et al.The overlapping area of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and wheat-sensitive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): An update.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1268. doi:10.3390/nu9111268
Bosch X, Monclús E, Escoda O, et al.Unintentional weight loss: Clinical characteristics and outcomes in a prospective cohort of 2677 patients.PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0175125. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175125
Nicholson B, Hamilton W, O’Sullivan J, Aveyard P, Hobbs F.Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.British Journal of General Practice. 2018;68(670):e311-e322. doi:10.3399/bjgp18X695801
Welti LM, Beavers DP, Caan BJ, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Vitolins MZ, Beavers KM.Weight fluctuation and cancer risk in postmenopausal women: The women’s health initiative.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017;26(5):779–786. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0611
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of vaginal and vulvar cancers.
American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.
Sivarajah R, Welkie J, Mack J, Casas R, Paulishak M, Chetlen AL.A review of breast pain: Causes, imaging recommendations, and treatment. Journal of Breast Imaging. 2020;2(2):101-111. doi:10.1093/jbi/wbz082
Bower JE.Cancer-related fatigue–mechanisms, risk factors, and treatments.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2014;11(10):597–609. doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.127
Cancers Treatment Centers of America.What causes cancer fatigue (and what to do about it).
Alfayyad I, Al-Tannir M, Yaqub M, et al.Clinically significant fatigue in adult leukemia patients: prevalence, predictors, and impact on quality of life. Cureus. 2020;12(12): e12245. doi:10.7759/cureus.1224
NIH National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.Cancer stat facts: common cancer sites.
NIH National Cancer Institute.Common cancer types.
NIH National Cancer Institute.Cancer screening overview (PDQ) - Patient version.
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