Overview: What do symptoms of colon cancer in women feel like?
Is colon cancer different in men and women? Yes. Women are less likely to get colorectal cancer than men, and younger adult women are less likely to die from colon cancer than men of a similar age. Additionally, women are more likely to form tumors on the right side of the colon than on the left. There is a difference, but it primarily affects treatment and the risk of a fatal outcome.
Do women have different symptoms or early warning signs? No. Colon cancer symptoms are the same in men and women. There are usually no symptoms until the cancer tumor grows for a while. The first sign may be a dull and undefined ache in the abdomen, but other common symptoms include changes in bowel movements such as constipation, diarrhea, or narrow stools. People might notice blood in the stools or blood leaking from the rectum. Advanced tumors can cause intense pain, abdominal swelling, and evident bleeding in the colon. Metastatic colon cancer—when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body—will have additional symptoms based on where the cancer has spread.
RELATED: What causes colon polyps? Diagnosis, prevention, and management
What are the early signs of colon cancer in women?
Colon cancer typically has no symptoms in the earliest stages. When symptoms do appear, the early signs of colon cancer in women usually involve:
Dull abdominal pain or cramping
Persistently unusual bowel movements such as diarrhea, constipation, or thin stools
Blood in the stools or rectal bleeding
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Other symptoms of colon cancer in women
Gastrointestinal symptoms of colorectal cancer include:
Abdominal pain or cramping
Unusual bowel movements (constipation, diarrhea, or long, thin stools)
Blood in the stools
Rectal bleeding
Bloating or abdominal swelling
Regurgitation (swallowed food coming back into the mouth)
Loss of appetite
Bowel obstruction
Severe abdominal pain
Colon cancer can affect the rest of a woman’s body, as well. Symptoms include:
Unusual tiredness or fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Increased urination
Blood in the urine
Genital bleeding
Symptoms of anemia such as weakness, tiredness, or dizziness
RELATED: What causes blood in stool? Related conditions and treatments
Signs of colon cancer in women vs. Crohn's disease symptoms
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory condition that causes swelling and tissue damage primarily in the large intestine but can affect any part of the digestive system from the mouth to the anus. The symptoms can be similar to colon cancer, but crucial differences exist. Crohn’s disease often affects other parts of the body, such as the eyes, skin, blood, and joints, so that gastrointestinal symptoms may be accompanied by seemingly unrelated symptoms like eye swelling or joint pain. However, because Crohn’s disease increases the risk of colon cancer and Crohn’s flare-ups are very similar to colon cancer symptoms, it’s important for people with Crohn’s to be regularly screened for colon polyps or colon cancer.
| Shared symptoms |
- Abdominal pain
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Rectal bleeding
- Fatigue
- Appetite loss
- Symptoms of anemia such as weakness, tiredness, or dizziness
|
| Unique symptoms |
- Bloating or abdominal swelling
- Regurgitation
- Bowel obstruction
- Increased urination
- Blood in the urine
- Genital bleeding
|
- Urgency to pass stools even when unable to pass stools
- Fever
- Mouth sores
- Rectal abscess
- Pain around the anus
- Anal fissures
- Anal fistula
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Eye swelling
- Red eye
- Bumpy skin rash
- Symptoms of gallstones
- Joint pain
- Blood clots
|
RELATED: Ulcerative colitis vs. Crohn’s: compare causes, symptoms, treatments, & more
Stages of colon cancer in women: How can I tell which one I have?
Colon cancer slowly develops through four stages. Diagnosis will involve not only identifying colon cancer but also determining its stage. Treatments will vary depending on the stage.
Stage 0: At the very beginning, a colon cancer tumor lies on the outermost layer of the colon's inner lining.
Stage I: the tumor has grown into the outermost tissues of the colon's inner lining.
Stage II: the tumor has grown deep into the colon tissues.
Stage III: the cancer has grown through the colon and spread to nearby lymph nodes and organs.
Stage IV: the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs that aren’t near the colon.
In the earliest stages, colorectal cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms. It is almost always detected with a routine colon cancer screening or colonoscopy. Early-stage colorectal cancer has the best survival rate. Over 90% of people treated for Stage I or II colorectal cancer survive longer than five years after treatment.
When to see a doctor for symptoms of colon cancer in women
Women should see a doctor before they experience colon cancer symptoms. Colon cancer is a slow-growing tumor that starts as a colon polyp. These, too, are slow-growing and take a decade or more to become cancerous. They can be identified and removed long before that through a routine colonoscopy.
Before a colonoscopy, people will be asked to evacuate their bowels completely using a laxative. During the procedure, a gastroenterologist, a specialist in the digestive system, will examine the inner lining of the colon by inserting a tube into the anus attached to a camera. This is the standard procedure for diagnosing colon cancer, so it’s better to do it before it develops.
Ask your primary care doctor if or when you should have a colonoscopy. Some will say when you turn 50, but many doctors now believe everyone should be screened at 45. Women who have relatives with colon polyps or cancer should be screened at an earlier age.
Women who refuse a colonoscopy to prevent colon cancer should see a doctor if symptoms suggest colon cancer. At advanced stages, colon cancer symptoms can be extreme enough to require emergency treatment.
To make a diagnosis, a gastroenterologist may start with stool tests. However, a colon cancer diagnosis requires a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, a more limited bowel examination. If cancerous cells are spotted during the colonoscopy, a tissue sample will be removed for biopsy for confirmation and further study. At some point, the clinician may also take pre-operative CT scans of other body parts to see if the cancer has spread.
RELATED: 7 medical tests you need when you turn 50
Complications of colon cancer symptoms in women
Untreated colon cancer can lead to complications such as:
How to treat symptoms of colon cancer in women
Treatment of colon cancer will depend on the type of cancer and the stage. Surgical removal is the universal treatment for all types and stages of colon cancer. Small tumors can be removed through endoscopic surgery, but later-stage tumors require open surgery to remove the tumor, surrounding tissues, and possibly lymph nodes. Surgeons may sometimes need to remove part or all of the colon. Radiation treatment is often used before and after surgery.
Drug treatment starts after open surgery and may be used after endoscopic surgery. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment, but immunotherapy is used with certain tumors or metastatic cancer types. Other treatment options include targeted therapy and antibody treatments if the cancer has spread to other body parts.
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Living with colon cancer symptoms in women
Colon cancer is treatable, and most people survive. However, there is a risk that colon cancer will come back, no one stops living with colon cancer. Instead, they must take certain measures to prevent recurrence or spot the cancer if it does return. These include:
Follow-up appointments with the cancer care team and other healthcare providers
Screening tests, blood tests, CT scans (every three to six months), and regular colonoscopies (one year after surgery, two years later, and every five years afterward)
Dietary changes
Exercise and physical activity
Maintaining a healthy weight
Alcohol cessation
Smoking cessation
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