colon

Malignant tumour of the large intestine (colon) or rectum. Risk factors include age (after age 50), family history of colorectal cancer, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, benign polyps, physical inactivity, and a diet high in fat. Many of the symptoms are associated with abnormal digestion and elimination. Colorectal cancer is treated by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

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Segment that makes up most of the large intestine. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, the colon technically excludes the cecum (a pouch at the beginning of the large intestine), rectum, and anal canal. It runs up the right side of the abdomen (ascending colon), across it (transverse colon), and down the left side (descending colon); its last section (sigmoid colon) joins the rectum. It has no digestive function but lubricates waste products, absorbs remaining fluids and salts, and stores waste products until excretion. Problems involving the colon include ulcerative colitis, constipation and diarrhea, gas discomfort, megacolon (enlarged colon), and cancer.

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• from Greek κολον "intestine, sausage"
• Colon (anatomy)

• from Greek κωλον "portion"
• Colon (rhetoric), a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete
• Colon (punctuation)

• French colons for "colonists", see Pieds-noirs

toponymy

• Colon Township, Michigan, in St. Joseph County, Michigan, United States
• Colon, Michigan, a village located within Colon Township
• Colon, Nebraska, a village in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States
• from Colón, the Spanish name of Christopher Columbus (from the Italian surname Colombo "dove")
• Colón, Panama

proper names:

• Cristóbal Colón, the Spanish rendering of Christopher Columbus
• Colon classification, a library classification system
• Colon, an alternative name used in France for wine made from the Gros Verdot grape

in popular culture

• Fred Colon, a Discworld character

See also

• Colón (disambiguation)
• Cologne (disambiguation)