What is colon (or colorectal) cancer?

Cancer is a term for diseases in which cells become abnormal and divide uncontrollably, eventually forming a mass called a tumor.

Cancer cells invade and destroy neighboring tissues. They can also break away from the tumor and spread to other parts of the body to form new tumors.

Colorectal cancer refers to the development of cancer in the cells that line the colon or the rectum, which is the lower portion of the colon.

The colon and rectum are part of the body’s digestive system that removes and processes nutrients from foods and helps pass waste material out of the body.

The first 6 feet of the large intestine are called the large bowel or colon.
The last 6 inches are the rectum, which is the passageway from the colon to the anus.

However, for short, the name colon cancer is used to refer to the cancers that affect both of these regions.

Source of Information: http://www.hgen.pitt.edu/counseling/public_health/colon_cancer.php