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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.
Stool passes from the colon to the rectum. The rectum is located between the last part of the colonâcalled the sigmoid colonâand the anus. The rectum stores stool prior to a bowel movement. During a bowel movement, stool moves from the rectum to the anus, the opening through which stool leaves the body.