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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.
Colon cancer is a malignancy that begins in the colon or large intestine. The large intestine is a long tube-like organ near the end of the digestive system. After food passes through the stomach and small intestine, the colon is responsible for removing fluid and some nutrients from the food you eat.