What Is Colorectal Cancer?
The colon and rectum make up the large intestine. The colon, which is about 5 feet long, helps digest food and remove nutrients and water before sending the waste to the rectum, the final few inches of the intestine.
The section attached to the small intestine goes along the right side of the belly and is called the ascending colon. It crosses from right to left and then goes down the left side, until it finally curves in an S-like shape to connect with the inches-long rectum. The first two sections of the colon are called the proximal colon, while the latter half is called the distal colon. Being familiar with these terms may help patients understand exactly where the cancer is located. Colorectal cancer may develop when:
- Polyps, mushroom-like growths inside the colon, grow and become cancerous.
- Cells along the lining of the colon or rectum mutate and grow out of control, forming a tumor