The colon, or large intestine, is the distal segment of the gastrointestinal tract responsible for absorbing water and electrolytes, fermenting residual nutrients, and forming and storing feces. Its mucosa is lined by a continuously renewing epithelium organized into crypts, and this proliferative compartment is the…
The colon, or large intestine, is the distal segment of the gastrointestinal tract responsible for absorbing water and electrolytes, fermenting residual nutrients, and forming and storing feces. Its mucosa is lined by a continuously renewing epithelium organized into crypts, and this proliferative compartment is the principal site of colorectal neoplasia, making the colon a central focus of oncology research. Colorectal cancer typically develops through stepwise accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations along defined pathways, including the conventional adenoma-carcinoma sequence and the serrated neoplasia pathway, with anatomical and morphological features such as proximal haustral architecture influencing detection and interval cancer risk. Investigation spans the molecular drivers of carcinogenesis, expression of cell-adhesion and metastasis-related genes, and the chemotherapeutic responsiveness conferred by particular carcinogenic pathways. Diagnostic screening increasingly employs molecular approaches, including microRNA quantification by digital PCR and microfluidic nucleic-acid assays applied to stool, offering reliable and economical detection suited to low-resource settings. Dietary, lifestyle, and natural-product factors are studied for their influence on colonic carcinogenesis and colorectal cancer risk, alongside targeted oral colon-directed drug delivery. The journal publishes peer-reviewed research on colorectal cancer biology, carcinogenic pathways, molecular and microRNA-based screening, and dietary and therapeutic strategies relevant to colonic neoplasia and gastrointestinal oncology.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 59 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Colon, linking to each citing work.