Colon Cancer Center - Ellicott City, MD
Ellicott City Oncologist Doctors for Colon CancerType of Physician: Oncologist What is a Oncologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; the oncologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer and other benign and malignant tumors. These subspecialists decide on and administer chemotherapy as well as consult with surgeons and radiotherapists on other treatment for cancer. Specialty: Oncology (Medical) Common Name: Cancer Doctor Oncologist Doctors in Ellicott City * Chesapeake Oncology & Hematology Associates  Chesapeake Oncology & Hematology Associates  Chesapeake Oncology & Hematology Associates  Chesapeake Oncology & Hematology Associates  Sinai Hospital Cancer Institute  Sinai Hospital Cancer Institute  University of Maryland Pulmonary & Critical Care  Harbor Hospital  Mercy Medical Center  Harbor Hospital  Mercy Medical Center  Baltimore Oncology & Hematology  William Sharfman MD  Stuart Grossman MD & Jaishri Blakely MD  JHH Urology  David S Ettinger MD  Rosalyn Juergens MD  Rosalyn Juergens MD  Rosalyn Juergens MD  Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins  Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins  Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins  John Fetting MD  Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center  Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins  John Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Primary Care  John Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Primary Care  Chesapeake Oncology & Hematology Associates  Maryland Oncology Towson PA  Maryland Oncology Towson PA  Maryland Oncology Towson PA  Maryland Oncology Towson PA  National Institute on Aging Research Lab  Drs Barr & Schwartz MD  Cancer Care Center of Frederick & Mt. Airy  Cancer Care Center of Frederick & Mount Airy  Cancer Care Center of Frederick & Mount Airy  Cancer Care Center of Frederick & Mount Airy  Cancer Care Center of Frederick & Mount Airy  Annapolis Oncology Center  National Institutes of Health Cancer & Prevention  National Cancer Institute  Carolyn B Hendricks MD PA & Rebecca D Kaltman MD  Frederick Pearson Smith MD  Eastern Shore Oncology PC Ellicott City, MarylandUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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Colon CancerRead the Colon Cancer article » What is cancer?Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. They affect the body's basic unit, the cell. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order. Like all other organs of the body, the colon and rectum are made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep us healthy. If cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue forms. This mass of extra tissue, called a growth or tumor, can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancer. They can usually be removed and, in most cases, they do not come back. Most important, cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Benign tumors are rarely a threat to life. Malignant tumors are cancer. Cancer cells can invade and damage tissues and organs near the tumor. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This is how cancer spreads from the original (primary) tumor to form new tumors in other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis. When cancer spreads to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if colon cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are colon cancer cells. The disease is metastatic colon cancer (it is not liver cancer).
What is cancer of the colon and rectum?The colon is the part of the digestive system where the waste material is stored. The rectum is the end of the colon adjacent to the anus. Together, they form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine (also known as the large bowel). Tumors of the colon and rectum are growths arising from the inner wall of the large intestine. Benign tumors of the large intestine are called polyps. Malig... Recommended Reading Related to Colon CancerWhat is colonoscopy?Colonoscopy is a procedure that enables an examiner (usually a gastroenterologist) to evaluate the appearance of the inside of the colon (large bowel). This is accomplished by inserting a long flexible tube (the colonoscope) that is about the thickness of a finger into the anus and then advancing the colonoscope slowly into the rectum and through the colon. The tip of the colonoscope has a light and a video camera. The inner colon lining can be directly visualized in images transmitted from the camera to a television monitor. This traditional method of examination of the colon is called optical colonoscopy. In preparation for colonoscopy, the day before the examination the colon is emptied using laxatives. Immediately prior to colonoscopy, an intravenous infusion (IV) is started, and the patient is placed on a monitor for continuously monitoring the rhythm of the heart, blood pressure, and the amount of oxygen in the blo... Other Related Colon Cancer ArticlesEmergency Contact for Ellicott City
Nearby Ellicott City Hospitals *Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City Spring Grove Hospital Center Kernan Hospital Howard County General Hospital Northwest Hospital Saint Agnes Hospital Bon Secours Baltimore Health System Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Baltimore VA Medical Center University of Maryland Medical Center Maryland General Hospital Harbor Hospital Center University Specialty Hospital Mercy Medical Center Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital Union Memorial Hospital Kennedy Krieger Institute Johns Hopkins Hospital Springfield Hospital Center Sheppard Pratt Health System Greater Baltimore Medical Center Baltimore Washington Medical Center Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland St Joseph Medical Center Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Laurel Regional Hospital Montgomery General Hospital Franklin Square Hospital Center Doctors Community Hospital Holy Cross Hospital Carroll Hospital Center Washington Adventist Hospital Walter Reed Army Medical Center Anne Arundel Medical Center Prince George's Hospital Center National Institutes of Health Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital Suburban Hospital Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Adventist HealthCare The HSC Pediatric Center Providence Hospital Washington DC VA Medical Center  National Rehabilitation Hospital  Washington Hospital Center  Children's National Medical Center  Psychiatric Institute of Washington  Howard University Hospital  United Medical Center  The Specialty Hospital of Washington  Sibley Memorial Hospital  The George Washington University Hospital  Georgetown University Hospital  Upper Chesapeake Medical Center  Saint Elizabeth's Hospital  Virginia Hospital Center  The Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley  Dominion Hospital  Frederick Memorial Hospital  Inova Alexandria Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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Rectal Bleeding (Blood in Stool, Hematochezia)
- Rectal bleeding (hematochezia) refers to the passage of bright red blood from the anus. Rectal bleeding may be moderate to severe and most bleeding comes from the colon, rectum, or anus. Common causes include anal fissures, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and more.
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Swollen Lymph Nodes
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Constipation
- Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
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Uterine Cancer
- Though uterine cancer's cause is unknown, there are many factors that will put a woman at risk, including: over age 50, endometrial hyperplasia, using hormone replacement therapy, obesity, using tamoxifen, being Caucasian, having colorectal cancer. Symptoms of cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer) include abnormal vaginal bleeding, painful urination, painful intercourse, and pelvic pain. Treatment depends on staging and may include radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
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Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Ulcerative colitis is closely related to Crohn's disease, and together they are referred to as inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment depends upon the type of ulcerative colitis diagnosed.
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Ascites
- Ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is most commonly caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Some of the other causes of ascites include portal hypertension, congestive heart failure, blood clots, and pancreatitis. The most common symptoms include increased abdominal girth and size, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on the cause of ascites.
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Colitis
- Inflammation of the inner lining of the colon is referred to as colitis. Symptoms of the inflammation of the colon lining include diarrhea, pain, and blood in the stool. There are several causes of colitis including infection, ischemia of the colon, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, or microscopic colitis). Treatment depends on the cause of the colitis.
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Anal Cancer
- Anal cancer, cancer located at the end of the large intestine, has symptoms that include anal or rectal bleeding, anal pain or pressure, anal discharge or itching, a change in bowel movements, and/or a lump in the anal region. Treatment for anal cancer may involve radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery and depends upon the stage of the cancer, its location, whether cancer is eradicated after the first treatment, and whether the patient has HIV.
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Colon Polyps
- A colon polyp is a benign tumor of the large intestine. Benign polyps do not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. Benign polyps can easily be removed during colonoscopy and are not life threatening. If benign polyps are not removed from the large intestine, they can become malignant over time.
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Cancer
- Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
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Cancer Risk Factors
- Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
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The Digestive System
- Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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Melanosis Coli
- Melanosis coli is a condition that is often associated with prolonged laxative use.
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Gardner's Syndrome (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis)
- Gardners' syndrome, or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), is an inherited condition in which cancer of the colon and rectum develop. Colon polyps and growths may develop as early as the teens. If these polyps are not removed, they will become cancerous. There are different inheritance patterns for familial adenomatous polyposis.
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Genetic Counseling
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Caregiving
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Colon Cancer Prevention
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Disease Prevention in Women
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Endometrial Cancer Prevention
- Endometrial cancer, or uterine cancer, affects the endometrium of the uterus. It's the most common invasive cancer of the female reproductive system. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, taking estrogen-only hormone therapy, early menstruation, late menopause, and never being pregnant.
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Disease Prevention in Men
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