Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon SymptomsAdvanced-Stage SymptomsConditions With Similar SymptomsWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Symptoms
Advanced-Stage Symptoms
Conditions With Similar Symptoms
When to See a Provider
Colon cancer symptoms 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 todigestive disordersthat affect them more often than men.
Some more subtle symptoms of colon cancer in women may also be mistaken for gynecological or menstrual issues.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
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:
You should discuss any symptoms with your healthcare provider, especially if you have risk factors like a family history of colon cancer.
What are the symptoms of early stage female colon cancer?
If left undiagnosed, colon cancer can lead to complications and serious symptoms.
These include:
Does colon cancer cause back pain?Colon cancer can cause lower back pain, although it is more often associated with abdominal pain and cramping.
Does colon cancer cause back pain?
Colon cancer can cause lower back pain, although it is more often associated with abdominal pain and cramping.
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:
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.
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, discusscolon cancer screeningoptions with your healthcare provider.
Female Colon Cancer Survival RateStatistics from the United Kingdom show a 77.1% survival rate at one year after a bowel (colorectal) cancer diagnosis for females. That drops to 58.6% at five years and 53.8% at 10 years.For all people in the U.S., the five-year survival rate for people with colorectal cancer is 65%.Keep in mind that prognosis also depends on the cancer stage at diagnosis and other factors.
Female Colon Cancer Survival Rate
Statistics from the United Kingdom show a 77.1% survival rate at one year after a bowel (colorectal) cancer diagnosis for females. That drops to 58.6% at five years and 53.8% at 10 years.For all people in the U.S., the five-year survival rate for people with colorectal cancer is 65%.Keep in mind that prognosis also depends on the cancer stage at diagnosis and other factors.
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 calledpolyps.
Screening tests, likecolonoscopy, can find these polyps before they become cancerous. This allows your healthcare provider, typically agastroenterology 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.
How long can you live with untreated colon cancer?There’s no way to know. Some studies have shown that people with hallmark colon cancer symptoms have a much poorer prognosis when a diagnosis is delayed more than three months.
How long can you live with untreated colon cancer?
There’s no way to know. Some studies have shown that people with hallmark colon cancer symptoms have a much poorer prognosis when a diagnosis is delayed more than three months.
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:
Some risk factors, however, cannot be changed. These include:
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 forcancer 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.
Hormone Replacement TherapyStudies have shown thathormone replacement therapy (HRT)after menopause can lower the risk of colorectal cancers in women, though this is still under investigation.The decision to begin HRT should not be based just on the risk of colon cancer. Taking estrogen and progesterone after menopause can increase a woman’s risk for a variety of diseases as well as lung and breast cancer. You should discuss the benefits and risks of HRT with your healthcare provider.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Studies have shown thathormone replacement therapy (HRT)after menopause can lower the risk of colorectal cancers in women, though this is still under investigation.The decision to begin HRT should not be based just on the risk of colon cancer. Taking estrogen and progesterone after menopause can increase a woman’s risk for a variety of diseases as well as lung and breast cancer. You should discuss the benefits and risks of HRT with your healthcare provider.
Summary
Colon cancer in women can present with symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, bloody stools, abdominal pain, and unintended weight loss. Some symptoms may be mistaken for menstrual or digestive issues.
Risk factors include age, family history, lifestyle, and conditions like Lynch syndrome. Screening, recommended starting at age 45 (and earlier for high-risk individuals), helps detect precancerous polyps or early-stage cancer. Survival rates depend on the diagnosis stage.
14 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.
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