10 Cancer Symptoms Women Shouldn't Ignore : Symptom No. 3 : Rectal Bleeding

You don't need to panic, but you shouldn't assume these signs are 'nothing,' either. Plus three ways to lower your risk.

3. Rectal Bleeding

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in women. One of the hallmarks isrectal bleeding, which many people link to hemorrhoids, the most common cause. "But it's not always that," Karlan says. Red or dark blood in your stool warrants a visit to your doctor, she says. 

Your doctor will likely do a rectal exam and order a colonoscopy if you're 50 or older, and perhaps if you're younger.