Abdomen: The part of the body that contains the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and other organs.

Anal Fissure: A small tear or cut in the skin around the anus which can cause pain and/or bleeding.

Anal Sphincter: Circular muscles that allow waste materials to pass through the anal opening. When the anal sphincter contracts, it closes the opening. The anal sphincter has two muscles – internal and external. Both muscles work to maintain bowel control.

Anus: The opening at the end of the bowel through which bowel movements pass.

Apareunia: Inability to engage in sexual intercourse.

Barium enema: A series of x-rays of the lower intestine. The x-rays are taken after the patient is given an enema with a white chalky solution that contains barium. The barium outlines the intestines on the x-rays.

Benign: Not cancerous; does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue, which is then examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells or other disease processes.

Bowel: The small or large intestine.

Bowel Prep: The process of preparing the bowel for a procedure or surgery. The prep may include oral liquids, pills, enemas and/or a special diet.

Cancer: A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.

Catheter: A tube that is placed into a body part to allow for materials to be passed into the body (such as drugs, fluids, nutrients) or allow flow out of the body (such as urine).

Chemotherapy: Treatment with anticancer drugs.

Clinical trials: Research studies that involve patients. Each study is designed to find better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat diseases and to answer scientific questions.

Colon: The large intestine which stores digestible material. The colon also absorbs water.

Colonoscopy: An examination in which the doctor looks at the colon through a flexible, lighted instrument called a colonoscope.

Colorectal: Related to the colon and/or rectum.

Colostomy: An opening created by a surgeon in the abdominal wall which creates a new path for waste material to leave the body after part of the colon has been removed.

Crohn’s Disease: A chronic inflammatory disorder of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract

Cystocele: Protrusion of the bladder out through the anterior vaginal wall.

Dehydration: A state caused by excessive loss of fluid from the body and/or inadequate intake of fluids.

Diarrhea: Frequent passage of loose, watery stool.

Digital rectal exam (DRE): An exam to detect abnormalities in the lower rectum and/or anal canal. The doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels for abnormal areas.

Diverticulosis: Outpouches of the colon wall. Diverticula may bleed, or become blocked and inflamed resulting in diverticulosis.

Double Contrast Barium Enema: This test is used to obtain an x-ray of the colon and rectum. It consists of a white, chalky substance given to patients prior to the x-ray. The barium outlines the colon and rectum on the x-rays to help the doctor see tumors or other abnormal tissue. The doctor may also expand the colon by gently pumping air during the test to look for small tumors.

Dyspareunia: Pain with intercourse.

Enterocele: Prolapse of the small intestine through the top of the vagina.

Enterostomal therapist: A health professional trained in the care of stomas.

External beam radiation: Radiation therapy that uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at the cancer.

Familial polyposis: An inherited condition in which hundreds to thousands of polyps develop in the colon and rectum.

Fecal incontinence: The inability to control bowel movements or gas.

Fecal occult blood test: A test to check for hidden blood in stool. (Fecal refers to stool. Occult means hidden.)

Fistula: A fistula is an abnormal connection of tissue between two organs.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy: A thin lighted tube called a sigmoidoscope is utilized to look inside the rectum and lower colon for polyps, tumors or other abnormalities. Only the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of the colon is visualized.

Frequency: The regularity of bowel movements or other body functions.

Gastroenterologist: A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the digestive system.

Gene: The biological or basic unit of heredity found in all cells in the body.

Hemorrhoids: Cushions of vascular tissue that are a normal part of the anal anatomy. Hemorrhoids may enlarge, prolapse, bleed, become clotted (thrombose), or create hygiene problems.

Ileostomy: A surgically created opening from the small intestine to the abdominal surface for the passage of stool.

Ileum: The lower portion of the small intestine.

Incision: A cut or opening that a surgeon makes into body tissue using a scalpel.

Incontinence: The inability to control stool or urine to defer elimination to an acceptable time and place.

Internal radiation: Radiation therapy that uses radioactive materials placed in or near the tumor.

IV (intravenous): Injected in a vein.

Jejunum: The upper portion of the small intestine.

Koch pouch: A continent ileostomy for stool or urine. The patient inserts a catheter to empty the pouch.

Local therapy: Treatment that affects cells in the tumor and the area close to it.

Lymph nodes: Small, bean-shaped organs located along the channels of the lymphatic system. The lymph nodes store special cells that can trap bacteria or cancer cells traveling through the body in lymph.

Lymphatic system: The tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infection and disease. This system includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes and a network of thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells. These tubes branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body.

Malignant: Cancerous; can invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

Medical Oncologist: A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer.

Metastasis: The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Cells in the metastatic (secondary) tumor are the same as those in the original (primary) tumor.

Obstructed defecation: A form of constipation due to defects in muscles, connective tissues, or function of the pelvic floor that causes a patient to excessively strain to have a bowel movement.

Ostomy: A surgical opening in which a portion of the bowel is brought to the abdominal surface. A general term for all types of ostomies (ileostomy, colostomy, urostomy).

Pelvic floor: Refers to the diaphragm, the sphincter mechanism of the lower urinary tract, the upper and lower vaginal supports, and the internal and external anal sphincters. It is a network of muscles, ligaments, and other tissues that hold up the pelvic organs.

Pelvic floor disorder: Due to the effects of childbirth, aging, obesity, menopause, connective tissue disorders, prior pelvic surgery, and chronic straining on the female pelvic floor. Pelvic floor disorders include fecal incontinence (involuntary loss of feces), urinary incontinence (involuntary loss of urine), constipation, rectal pain, vaginal and/or rectal prolapse, pelvic pain/trauma, and sexual dysfunction.

Pelvic organs: The vagina, rectum, uterus and bladder in females; rectum, bladder, prostrate and seminal vesicles in males.

Pelvic organ prolapse: This term indicates that an organ has slipped out of its proper place, or has prolapsed out of the body.

Perianal: The area of skin surrounding the anus.

Polyp: An abnormal growth of cells that projects into a hollow organ (such as the colon).

Pruritus ani: Anorectal itching.

Pudendal nerves: Peripheal nerves that control some pelvic floor function.

Radiation oncologist: A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.

Radiation therapy: Treatment with high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill cancer cells. The radiation may come from outside the body (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed directly in the tumor (implant radiation). Also called radiotherapy.

Rectal prolapse: Protrusion of the rectum through the anal canal, including the lining (mucosa) and muscles of the rectum. Mucosal prolapse is only the lining. Internal rectal prolapse occurs when the rectum telescopes upon itself but does not protrude out of the anus.

Rectocele: The rectum protrudes through the back wall of the vagina.

Screening: Checking for disease when there are no symptoms.

Side effects: Potential unwanted effects of a given therapy.

Sigmoidoscopy: A procedure in which the doctor looks inside the rectum and the lower part of the colon (sigmoid colon) through a lighted tube. The doctor may collect samples of tissue or cells for closer examination. Also called proctosigmoidoscopy.

Stage: The extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.

Staging: Examination and tests to learn the extent of the cancer, specifically if it has spread from its original site to other parts of the body.

Stoma: An opening in the abdominal wall; also called an ostomy or urostomy.

Surgery: A procedure to remove or repair a part of the body or to find out if disease is present.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division. Tumors perform no useful body function. They may either be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Ulcerative colitis: A disease that causes inflammation of the lining of the colon.

Urinary frequency: A need to urinate more often than usual.

Urinary incontinence: Overactive bladder with involuntary loss of urine.

Urinary urgency: A sudden, compelling urge to urinate, accompanied by discomfort in the bladder.

Uterine prolapse: The uterus prolapses through the vaginal opening.

Vaginal vault prolapse: The vagina prolapses through the vaginal opening.

Virtual colonoscopy: Advances in computer processing speed and imaging software have allowed for the development of "virtual colonoscopy" (CT colonography). This test still requires an intestinal cleansing but is performed rapidly, without sedation, and without the invasiveness of flexible video colonoscopy. Other intra-abdominal abnormalities may be diagnosed with this screening device. CT colonography is an exciting technique for screening for colon cancer. Images can be viewed shortly after acquisition in a multiplanar reformatted (MPR) display or after processing with the "fly through" view.