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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.
Your colon (large intestine) is a part of your digestive system. At one end, it attaches to your small intestine. At the other, it attaches to the rectum and anus. Large amounts of bacteria are present in the colon. Bacteria work to break down any remaining undigested food materials. The colon also absorbs water and transports the remaining waste to the rectum, where itâs expelled as stool. The average colon size is 120 to 150 centimeters (roughly 47 to 60 inches) in length. However, a person with a redundant colon has an abnormally long colon, especially in the final section (called descending colon).