We tend to hear about men getting colon cancer way more often than women. But yes, colon cancer does affect women too. “Colon cancer affects both men and women, it’s actually the third most common cancer in the United States,” says Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and an advisor to SurvivorNet. Dr. Yeo says people often don’t know that they have colon cancer because they have no symptoms, and that screening is critically important, even for people with no history of the disease.
Yes, Women Do Get Colon Cancer
Fact Checked
/ Updated July 2nd, 2019SurvivorNet Fact Checking and Medical Review Standards:
The SurvivorNet News Team creates high quality medical information that complies with our industry leading standards for factual accuracy and sourcing from leading experts at academic medical institutions. Every news article is thoroughly fact-checked by our physician collaborators. We vet each piece of work for factual integrity, impartiality, and clearly label any professional conflicts.
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Yes, Women Do Get Colon Cancer
We tend to hear about men getting colon cancer way more often than women. But yes, colon cancer does affect women too. “Colon cancer affects both men and women, it’s actually the third most common cancer in the United States,” says Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and an advisor to SurvivorNet. Dr. Yeo says people often don’t know that they have colon cancer because they have no symptoms, and that screening is critically important, even for people with no history of the disease.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
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Prevention & Screening: Getting the Facts
Is colon cancer really becoming more prevalent in people under the age of 50? Can you skip screening if you don’t have any symptoms? Dr. Heather Yeo has the answers – and explains some common misconceptions.
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