Patient Education Colorectal Cancer: Your Care and Recovery | Page 11

The Colon
The colon and rectum are parts of the digestive system. Food digestion
begins in the mouth and ends in the anus. The colon’s main job is to absorb
water and minerals from the stool, which is the last stage of digestion.
The colon is about 5 feet long and is made up of 5 parts. These are:
• the ascending colon
• the transverse colon
• the descending colon
• the sigmoid colon
• the rectum
A surgeon can usually remove any area of the colon and then connect the
ends back together.

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