Skiptomaincontent Colon-InvasivecarcinomaEmailPrintHome>Colon-InvasivecarcinomaUNDERSTANDINGYOURPATHOLOGYREPORT: AFAQSHEET Whenyourcolonwasbiopsiedorresected,thesamplestakenwerestudiedunderthemicroscopebyaspecializeddoctorwithmanyyearsoftrainingcalledapathologist. Thepathologyreporttellsyourtreatingdoctorthediagnosisineachofthesamplestohelpmanageyourcare. ThisFAQsheetisdesignedtohelpyouunderstandthemedicallanguageusedinthepathologyreport.Thecolonispartofthegastrointestinalsystemthatprocessesfoodtosothatthepartsthatcanbeusedforenergyandbodybuildingcanbeabsorbedintothebodyandused.Thecolon'sjobistoabsorbwateroutoftheleftoverfoodaswellasthelastfewbitsofnutrients.Italsostorestheleftoverfood,calledfeces,untilitisconvenientforthebodytogetridofit.Thecolonislargeandissometimesknownasthe"large"bowel.Itstartsonthelowerrighthandsideoftheabdomenandmakesalmostacompletecirclealongtheedgeoftheabdomen.Wastefoodisliquidwhenitentersthecolon.Asitispushedthroughthecolonbythemusclesinthewallofthecolon,wateristakenoutofthewasteandthewastebecomesmoresolid.1. Whatifmyreportmentions"cecum","ascendingcolon","transversecolon","descendingcolon","sigmoidcolon",or"rectum"?Thecolonisdividedintodifferentpartsbyphysicianstohelplocatewherealesionis.Thececumisthebeginningofthecolonwherethesmallintestineemptiesintothelargeintestine. Theascendingcolonisnextandgoesupalongtherightsideoftheabdomen.Next,thetransversecoloncrossesovertotheleftsideunderthestomachandliverandbecomesthedescendingcolonwhichgoesdownalongtheleftsideoftheabdomen.Thesigmoidcolonislastandisinthebottomoftheabdomen.Thesigmoidcolonisconnectedtotheanusbytheshortestpartofthecoloncalledtherectum.Thefecesorwastefoodexitsthebodythroughtheanus.2. Whatisnormallypresentinthecolon?Thecolonhasalining,calledmucosa,whichismadeupofcolumnarcellsthatformtubes,calledcrypts.Thecolumnarcellsarecalledcolumnarbecausetheyaremuchtallerthantheyarewide.Thecolumnarcellsinthecolonarearrangedincryptswhichlooklikelongpocketsortubes.Thecellsofthemucosamakemucin,which