Also called: Large intestine diseases
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Colonic Diseases
Your colon, also known as the large intestine, is part of your digestive system. It's a long, hollow tube at the end of your digestive tract where your body makes and stores stool. Many disorders affect the colon's ability to work properly. Some of these include:
- Colorectal cancer
- Colonic polyps - extra tissue growing in the colon that can become cancerous
- Ulcerative colitis - ulcers of the colon and rectum
- Diverticulitis - inflammation or infection of pouches in the colon
- Irritable bowel syndrome - an uncomfortable condition causing abdominal cramping and other symptoms
Treatment for colonic diseases varies greatly depending on the disease and its severity. Treatment may involve diet, medicines and in some cases, surgery.
It sits within Digestive System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Colonic Diseases
11,068 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Targeted Therapy Directed by Genetic Testing in Treating Patients With Advanced Refractory Solid Tumors, Lymphomas, or Multiple Myeloma (The MATCH Screening Trial)National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Atezolizumab in Treating Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer and Deficient DNA Mismatch RepairNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Longitudinal Immunophenotyping of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
- Impact of Probiotics on Neuropathy Induced by Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Colon Cancer.Centre Francois Baclesse
- Social Health, Activity Behaviors, and Quality of Life Among Young Adult Cancer SurvivorsUniversity of Southern California
- Anti-CEACAM5 ADC M9140 in Advanced Solid Tumors (PROCEADE-CRC-01)EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc.
Research already completed
- Tumor-Derived FGF19University of Central Florida
- Learning Curve of SILS in CRCRuijin Hospital
- Assessing Interventions of Diet in IBDMcMaster University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Anatomic Problems of the Lower GI TractNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
- Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Treatments and Therapies
- ColectomyMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Colon Cleansing: Is It Helpful or Harmful?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Colon Resection SurgerySociety of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
- Colostomy - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Laparoscopic Surgery -- What Is It?American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
- Large bowel resection - SeriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Ostomy Surgery of the BowelNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Probiotics: Usefulness and SafetyNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Digestive Health TipsAmerican College of Gastroenterology
Genetics
- Hirschsprung disease: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Intestinal pseudo-obstruction: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Mowat-Wilson syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonic DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Colonic Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Colonic Diseases, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.