Esophageal Cancer Center - Waltham, MA
Waltham Oncologist Doctors for Esophageal 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 Waltham * Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates Cambridge  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Psychosocial Oncology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brigham & Women's Cancer Center  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Kenneth Anderson MD  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gynecology Oncology Program  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Breast & Gynecologic  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gynecology Oncology Program  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gastroenterologic Oncology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Breast & Gynecologic  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Infectious Disease  Dana Farber  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brigham & Womens Cancer Center  Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Center  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Head & Neck Oncology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Hematology/Oncology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brigham & Women's Cancer Center  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Medical Hematology/Oncology  Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology Program  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Hematology/Oncology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brigham & Womens Cancer Center  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gynecology Oncology Program  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Medical Oncology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Hematology Oncology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Hematology/Oncology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Breast & Gynecologic  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Hematology/Oncology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Medical Hematology/Oncology  Edwin Alyea MD  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Thoracic Oncology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brigham & Women's Cancer Center  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brigham & Womens Cancer Center  MA Eye & Ear Infirmary Retinopathy Services  Massachusetts General Hospital Oncology  MGH Bone Marrow Transplant Program  MGH Pappas Center for Neuro Oncology  MGH Cancer Center Chairman  MGH Pappas Center for Neuro Oncology  MGH Bone Marrow Transplant Program  MGH Orthopaedic Oncology  MGH Orthopaedic Oncology  MGH Bone Marrow Transplant Program  MGH Pappas Center for Neuro Oncology  MGH Orthopaedic Oncology  MGH Orthopaedic Oncology  MGH Bone Marrow Transplant Program  Commonwealth Oncology  Mass General North Shore Cancer Center  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Drs Murray & Glynn MD PC  Robert Byrne MD  Northampton Internal Medicine Waltham, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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Esophageal CancerRead the Esophageal Cancer article » What is the esophagus?The esophagus is in the chest. It's about 10 inches long. This organ is part of the digestive tract. Food moves from the mouth through the esophagus to the stomach. The esophagus is a muscular tube. The wall of the esophagus has several layers:
Cancer CellsCancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body. Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old or damaged cells do not die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. Growths in the wall of the esophagus can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). The smooth inner wall may have an abnormal rough area, an area of tiny bumps, or a tumor. Benign growths are not as harmful as malignant growths:
Recommended Reading Related to Esophageal CancerCT Scan (Computerized Tomography) » CT scan facts
What is a CT scan?Computerized (or computed) tomography, and often formerly referred to as computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, is an X-ray procedure that combines many X-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views and, if needed, three-dimensional images of the internal organs and structures of the body. Computerized tomography is more commonly known by its abbreviated names, CT ... Other Related Esophageal Cancer ArticlesEmergency Contact for Waltham
Nearby Waltham Hospitals *McLean Hospital Newton Wellesley Hospital Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center Franciscan Hospital for Children Kindred Hospital Boston Mount Auburn Hospital Arbour HRI Hospital Somerville Hospital Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center Cambridge Hospital Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham HEALTHSOUTH New England Rehabilitation Hospital Bournewood Hospital Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Brigham & Women's Hospital Dana Farber Cancer Institute Children's Hospital Boston Lawrence Memorial Hospital VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus New England Baptist Hospital Arbour Hospital Faulkner Hospital Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged Lahey Clinic Medical Center VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury Campus M I T Medical Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital Radius Specialty Hospital Boston Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Massachusetts General Hospital Winchester Hospital Emerson Hospital Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston Burn Hospital Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston Medical Center Massachusetts Mental Health Center Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital Tufts New England Medical Center Whidden Memorial Hospital Melrose Wakefield Hospital Lawrence F Quigley Memorial Hospital Caritas Carney Hospital MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital Westwood Lodge Hospital Milton Hospital Caritas Norwood Hospital Quincy Medical Center Massachusetts Hospital School North Shore Medical Center Tewksbury Hospital UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital  Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital  New England Sinai Hospital & Rehabilitation Center  Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough  Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore  Kindred Specialty Hospital Braintree  Saints Medical Center  Salem Hospital & the Birthplace  North Shore Children's Hospital  HC Solomon Mental Health Center  Lowell General Hospital  Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital  Isham Health Center  Westborough State Hospital  South Shore Hospital  Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton  Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center  Nashoba Valley Medical Center  Beverly Hospital  Milford Regional Medical Center  Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton  Lawrence General Hospital  Signature Healthcare Brockton 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. |
Suggested Reading on Esophageal Cancer by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
19 articles-
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which the acidified liquid contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The symptoms of uncomplicated GERD are heartburn, regurgitation, and nausea. Effective treatment is available for most patients with GERD.
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Alcoholism
- Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
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Chronic Cough
- Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
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Chest Pain
- Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
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Obesity
- Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight. That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and build.
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Dysphagia
- Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.
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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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Barrett's Esophagus
- Barrett's esophagus occurs as a complication of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), primarily in white males. GERD refers to the reflux of acidic fluid from the stomach into the esophagus (the swallowing tube), and is classically associated with heartburn.
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Esophagitis
- Esophagitis is caused by an infection or irritation of the esophagus. Infections that cause esophagitis include candida yeast infection of the esophagus as well as herpes.
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Achalasia
- Achalasia is a disease of the esophagus that mainly affects young adults. Abnormal function of nerves and muscles of the esophagus causes difficulty swallowing and sometimes chest pain.
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Smoking (How to Quit Smoking)
- Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
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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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Schatzki's Ring
- Schatzki (Schatzki's) ring, is a narrow ring of tissue located just above the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The cause of Schatzki ring is not clearly known, however, some doctors believe they are caused by long term acid reflux. The symptoms of a Schatzki ring is primarily poorly chewed food that stays in chunks becoming stuck in the esophagus. Diagnosis of Schatzki's ring is barium x-ray or endoscopy. Treatment is generally a procedure to stretch or fracture the rings.
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Asbestos
- Asbestos exposure lung disease is divided into three main types, asbestosis (lung scarring caused by asbestos fibers), disease of the lining of the lung (pleural plaques, scarring, or fluid accumulation), and lung cancer. Mesothelioma is cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos exposure. Cancers of the larynx, throat, kidney, esophagus, and gallbladder have been linked to asbestos exposure. Treatment is dependant upon the type of condition related to asbestos exposure.
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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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Heartburn
- Heartburn is a burning sensation experienced from acid reflux (GERD). Symptoms of heartburn include chest pain, burning in the throat, difficulty swallowing, the feeling of food sticking in the throat, and a burning feeling in the chest. Causes of heartburn include dietary habits, lifestyle habits, and medical causes. Treatments for heartburn include lifestyle changes, OTC medication, prescription medication, and surgery.
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Reflux Laryngitis
- Acid backing up into the larynx (voice box), it causes reflux laryngitis. Irritation of the lining of the esophagus, larynx, and throat can lead to esophagitis, sinusitis, strictures, hoarseness, throat clearing, swallowing problems, asthma, chronic cough, and more. Typical symptoms of reflux laryngitis include heartburn, hoarseness, or a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Reflux laryngitis can be treated with OTC medication, prescription medication, and lifestyle changes.
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Smokeless Tobacco
- Smokeless tobacco can have negative health effects such as cancers, poor oral health (gum disease and tooth decay), infertility, pregnancy complications, and nicotine addiction.
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Disease Prevention in Men
- Disease prevention in men includes routine screening tests that are part of basic prevention medicine. Take an active role in your own health care and discuss screening tests with your doctor early in life. Age of screening and timing of screening depends upon the condition being assessed.
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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