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:
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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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