Colon Cancer Symptoms in Women

Colon cancer symptoms in women are often ignored. Colon cancer is the fifth most commonly found cancer in the United States. Do not panic. Here are some commonly observed symptoms of colon cancer in women. Read on.

Colon cancer is also called as colorectal cancer and large bowel cancer. It arises from the adenomatous polyps in the colon. These are the mushroom-shaped cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix that cause colon cancer. At the initial stage, these growths are not dangerous to health, but over a period of time, they develop into cancerous growths which can be detected only through colonoscopy procedure. Colon cancer, in its first two stages, is invasive and confined within the walls of the colon, and can be cured with a surgery. At the third stage, if untreated, these growths spread to the regional lymph nodes. At this stage, only 73% of cancer is curable by surgery and chemotherapy. Further, at its fourth stage, colon cancer is usually not curable, chemotherapy can help extend the survival time. Radiation is also used in colon rectal cancer. In rare cases, at the stage IV, there have been reports of patients getting cured with a combination of both chemotherapy and surgery.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

The early signs and symptoms of colon cancer are too generic to call them diagnostic symptoms. Colon cancer symptoms in women also depend on the position of tumor in the bowel and whether it has spread anywhere else in the body which is also termed as metastasis. The signs and symptoms shown by colon cancer may be seen in other minor diseases as well. These are divided into local symptoms, constitutional symptoms and metastatic symptoms. Constitutional symptoms affect the entire body while metastatic symptoms are caused by spreading of tumor to other body organs. Let's take a look at these symptoms.

Local: Local colon cancer symptoms in women can be seen when the tumor is positioned near the anus. There will be a change in your bowel movement - constipation or diarrhea. You may also get a feeling of unfulfilled defecation and decrease in the diameter of stool because of the increased presence of the mucus. Lower intestinal bleeding that involves a discharge of bright red blood from the stool may indicate colorectal cancer. Upper intestinal bleeding, usually occuring from an ulcer, along with black stool might indicate a colorectal cancer when the cancerous growths are located right in the beginning of the large bowel. It may also cause blood or air in the urine, vaginal discharge (in women) and uncontrolled bowel perforating.

Constitutional: If a tumor has been caused due to chronic bleeding, iron deficiency might be experienced due to loss of blood. Symptoms like fatigue, palpitations and pale skin are signs of iron deficiency. It may also lead to weight loss, decrease in appetite and unexplained fever.

Metastatic: Liver is one of the most common places where a colon cancer may spread. This symptom is very difficult to notice. High tumor deposits in the liver may cause jaundice. If the bile duct gets obstructed by this tumor deposit, it may result in biliary obstructions. You may also want to read:

Colon Cancer Warning Signs

Early Signs Of Colon Cancer

Symptoms of Colon Cancer In Women

Rectal Bleeding

Rectal bleeding is considered to be one of the primary signs of colon cancer at least in its initial stages. You should not panic if you have experienced this symptom before. Before jumping to any conclusion, let me tell you that it is a very common occurrence with women. But at the same time, a woman with colon cancer would have had experienced rectal bleeding in the initial stages.

Weight Loss

Weight loss is a common symptom of all cancers. What happens in colon cancer is, when a tumor develops, it grows and for that it takes energy and fuel. Obviously, it will result in higher burning of calories. This results in an unexplained weight loss.

Unexplained And Unintended Bowel Movements

A woman suffering from colon cancer will notice a sudden and a serious change in her bowel movements. She will either experience diarrhea or feel constipated. She will also notice a change in the consistency of her bowel movements. This can also be confused with minor signs like these, like in case of rectal bleeding. What is important here is the duration for which she experiences these signs. In case of colon cancer, a woman will experience these symptoms for over 2 weeks!

Severe Fatigue

Fatigue is the most common symptom of cancer. Again, not every case of fatigue should be associated with cancer. In case of colon cancer, a woman will experience severe fatigue because of higher number of calories being burnt because of the tumor. A woman may also turn anemic due to discharge of blood from her stools and vagina. Severe fatigue is also associated with anemia.

Problems in Digestive System

Other digestive problems, apart from rectal bleeding and change in bowel movements, include nausea and vomiting. Unrelated bloating happens due to blockage of the tumor in the large intestine. Cramps in lower abdominal area and a very bad feeling of gas are also few signs are colon cancer symptoms in women. Read more on:

Symptoms Of Colorectal Colon Cancer

Symptoms and Treatment of Colon Cancer

Experts say that, most of the cancers are caused due to alcohol, smoking and obesity. It has also been found that, colon cancer would generally develop in men and women over the age of 50. Having said that, I would recommend a screening for cancer to my middle aged readers. To all those who are young, please say no to alcohol and smoking and exercise regularly to avoid obesity. You may also want to read:

Symptoms and Treatment Of Bowel Cancer

Alternative Cancer Treatments

So, with these colon cancer symptoms and signs in women, I am sure my female readers will take a precautionary measure asap! If you notice any of these symptoms, I strongly insist on visiting an expert doctor over this issue. But if these signs are seen on a minor scale, you should avoid panic and should not associate it with colon cancer. Stay fit; stay healthy!