What Is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer is a term which is used to refer to cancer that begins in the colon or rectum. Colon and rectal cancers start in the digestive system, also known as the GI (gastrointestinal) system. This is where food is processed to generate energy plus rid the body of waste matter.

After food is chewed and swallowed, it moves down to the stomach for digestion. There it is partly broken down also sent to the small intestine. The term "small" refers to the diameter of the small intestine. The small intestine is actually the longest segment of the digestive system. It is actually 20 feet long.

The small intestine goes on with breaking down the food as well as absorbs most of the nutrients. The small intestine connects with the large intestine (large bowel), a muscular tube about five feet long. The initial part of the large bowel, knows as colon, absorbs water along with nutrients from the food and also serves as a storage space place for waste matter. The waste matter travels from the colon into the rectum, the final 6 inches of the large bowel. From there the waste gets out of the body via the opening known as anus during a bowel movement.