Symptoms of colon cancer (also called colorectal cancer) are the same for everyone, regardless of a person’s sex or gender. There are no symptoms specific to women.

The most common symptoms of colon cancer include:

  • blood in your stool
  • unintentional weight loss
  • chronic constipation or diarrhea

Additional symptoms of colon cancer may include:

  • fatigue (often described as a persistent lack of energy)
  • shortness of breath (due to iron deficiency anemia)
  • the urge to have a bowel movement even when you don’t need to go
  • abdominal cramping

It’s worth noting that some people with colon cancer don’t experience any symptoms, particularly during its early stages. That’s why, as you get older, regular screening for colon cancerTrusted Source is important.

This is especially true if you have certain risk factors for colon cancerTrusted Source. Like many cancers, early diagnosis of colon cancer gives you the best chance of curing it.

In addition to regular screening, be sure to contact a doctor if you have any of the above symptoms, regardless of your age. Rates of colon cancer in people under the age of 50 years have nearly doubled since the early 1990s.

Recommended screening guidelines for colon cancer

For people at average risk, the American Cancer SocietyTrusted Source recommends people begin regular colon cancer screening at age 45 years. Experts consider people to be at average risk if they do NOT have a:

People who have one or more of the above risk factors may want to begin screening earlier than age 45 years. Talk with a doctor for individual screening recommendations.

Learn more about colon cancer screening.