A Review of Colorectal Cancer The colon and rectum both preform major functions daily in the digestion system. The colon absorbs water and converts the leftover food into indigestible fecal matter. The rectum stores the fecal matter until it is time to dispose of it. Colorectal cancer occurs when the cells of these two organs become mutated and divide rapidly. Unless colorectal cancer is detected early, more often than not, it becomes deadly. When food enters the digestion system, it travels through the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, and then enters the colon. When it leaves the small intestine, it is a semisolid material that has already lost most of its nutritional value in the small intestine, but what is left are the indigestible carbohydrates and fibrous materials. If there are any important vitamins or minerals that the body could use, they are extracted by mixing it with the mucus and bacteria found in the colon (Almeida 316). There are four different sections of the colon: the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon. Each section of the colon has a crypt style, where there are many “waves” that make the colon squeeze a lot more length into a lot less space. Within the colon’s epithelial layer of cells, there are three different types of cells. Two of the three types may become cancerous, and these are the absorptive and goblet cells. They are found throughout the colon, and are more common throughout the epithelium than the third type, which are the paneth cells. The absorptive cells do exactly what the name implies; they absorb whatever food is left to be absorbed. The goblet cells are filled with mucous, which helps move the materials through the colon smoothly, adding lubrication. The paneth cells secrete antibacterial enzymes (Schroeder) which help to break down the material moving through the colon so it can be either