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Before learning about colorectal cancer, it is important to know where the colon and rectum are located. The colon and rectum are at the lower end of the digestive system. The colon, a muscular tube about five feet long, absorbs fluid to form solid waste. The rectum, the last six inches of the digestive system, serves as a warehouse for this waste until it is pushed out of the body.
Cancer that forms in the tissues of the colon (the longest part of the large intestine). About Colon Cancer. Colon cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the colon. The colon is part of the body's digestive system. The digestive system removes and processes nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) from foods and helps pass waste material out of the body.