The average colon is about 1.5 m long. Lengths of the various parts are:
* Ascending colon: 25 cm
* Transverse colon: 45 cm
* Descending colon: 15 cm
* Sigmoid colon: 40 cm
*
Rectum: 12 cm
* Anal canal: 5 cm The splenic flexure is thus at around 72 cm from the anal verge, and the hepatic flexure at around 117 cm.
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EXPLANATION
In your son's case, the mass is 8 cm long, so it covers about 2/3 of the rectum. Since the anal canal is about 5 cm long, the lower part of the mass is about 3 cm from the bottom of the rectum, i.e., very close to the anal sphincter.
Whether the mass is malignant or not, the mass (and most of the rectum) will probably have to be removed by surgery, and for this you will need to have the very best colorectal surgeon you can find.
If you are in the US you can search for a Board Certified colorectal surgeon by using the following instructions:
- Searching for a Board Certified colorectal surgeon - For colorectal surgery, it is important to have a surgeon who is Board-Certified to do this type of surgery. One thing you could do at this point is to check for certified colorectal surgeons in your area. The link to do that is here: Is My Doctor Board-Certified?. Some of the reasons why this is so important are discussed in this prior post by weisssoccermom: Board-certified colorectal surgeons.
Right now, this is the most important thing to think about. The meaning of the various technical terms in the report can be dealt with later on.