Colon cancer is often grouped with rectal cancer. These two types of cancer may be referred to as colorectal cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both women and men. Though the risk is slightly lower for women than men, about 1 in 25 U.S. women are at risk for developing this cancer.

Colon cancer symptoms vs. symptoms related to menstruation: Some symptoms of colon cancer may be easy to mistake for symptoms related to your menstrual cycle. For example, feeling unusually tired or lacking energy are common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
These are also symptoms of anemia, which you may experience if you lose a lot of blood during your menstrual period.

Risk factors in women:

• Increased age. Risk tends to climb significantly after the age of 50Trusted Source, though younger people can develop colon cancer, too.
• Personal history of polyps. If you’ve had benign polyps in the past, you face higher risks of cancerous polyps forming later on. Having had colon cancer also puts you at a higher risk of a new cancerous polyp forming.
• Family history of colon cancer or polyps. Having a parent, sibling, or other close relative with colon cancer or a history of polyps makes you more likely to develop colon cancer.