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 Rectal Disorders
The rectum is the lower part of your large intestine where your body stores stool. Problems with the rectum are common. They include hemorrhoids, abscesses, incontinence and cancer.
Many people are embarrassed to talk about rectal troubles. But seeing your doctor about problems in this area is important. This is especially true if you have pain or bleeding. Treatments vary depending on the particular problem.
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 Rectal Disorders
9,081 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)
- RECTIFY-1: Neoadjuvant Botensilimab + Balstilimab in MSS/pMMR Early Rectal CancerDana-Farber Cancer Institute
- 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.
- Feasibility of a Multi-Channel Intervention to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening Among American Indians in OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma
- AMG 410 Alone and in Combination With Other Agents in Participants With KRAS Altered Advanced or Metastatic Solid TumorsAmgen
Research already completed
- Tumor-Derived FGF19University of Central Florida
- Learning Curve of SILS in CRCRuijin Hospital
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
- Overview of the Anus and RectumMerck & Co., Inc.
Symptoms
- Understanding Rectal BleedingDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Diagnosis and Tests
- Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Lower GI X-Ray (Barium Enema)Radiological Society of North America
- Motility Testing: Anorectal and Pelvic Floor AreaInternational Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
Treatments and Therapies
- Rectal prolapse repair - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
Related Issues
- Foreign Objects in the RectumMerck & Co., Inc.
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: ProctitisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectal DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectal ProlapseNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: RectoceleNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Rectal Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Rectal Disorders, 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.