When you’ve been newly diagnosed with cancer of the colon or rectum, we know you want access to care with knowledgeable experts. You also want to know that you’re getting the best treatment plan, whether that’s the latest surgical techniques or access to a clinical trial for options that may not be available anywhere else.
At the OSUCCC – James Colorectal Cancer Center, an entire team of national cancer experts from different medical specialties work together to make sure you’re treated as quickly as possible and can move on to recovery, all while maintaining the best quality of life possible.
Your partner in care with a team of specialists
You’ll benefit from coordinated scheduling and our team approach to care. Based on your diagnosis, we’ll organize a multidisciplinary team of medical experts who will partner with you — and each other — to plan the best path forward, including the treatment and the important support you’ll need throughout. To schedule an appointment directly with the center, call 614-366-4272 (4CRC).
Your care team may include a medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, certified nurse practitioner, pharmacist and others with colorectal cancer experience. You’ll also have access to a social worker, nutritionist, patient navigator, chaplain and other professionals who can help you with resources.
Because everyone on your team understands both your condition and the importance of support and reassurance, they’ll be available to answer your questions and keep you informed and confident in each decision made about your care.
The colorectal cancers and related diseases we treat include:
This includes focused specialty programs for:
- Early-age onset colorectal cancer
- Genetics and hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes
- Stage IV colorectal cancer
- Anal Cancer Screening Program
Center services – your partner for truly comprehensive care
From your first appointment to your last follow-up, the OSUCCC – James Colorectal Cancer Center streamlines every aspect of care. Our goal is to treat your cancer, but also support you as an entire person.
- After your initial diagnosis, you may need additional testing or imaging, such as computed tomography (CT) scans and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The type of tests will be determined by your team.
- Any necessary testing is typically followed by appointments with a colorectal surgeon, medical oncologist and/or radiation oncologist.
- Depending on your needs, you may also partner with one of the center’s genetic counselors, fertility specialists, gynecologists or other medical experts.
- To help you manage life with cancer, you can also access important support services for better mental health, overall well-being and improved quality of life. This includes support groups, help from our Cancer Supportive Care Clinic and services such as:
- Nutrition education
- Financial assistance
- Fertility preservation and reproductive health
- Social work
- Pastoral and spiritual care
The OSUCCC – James is also a national leader in research, offering more clinical trials than nearly any other cancer hospital in the region. We’re also one of only a few centers in the United States that receives funding from the National Cancer Institute for both phase I and phase II clinical trials of novel anticancer agents.
Any research related to colorectal cancer is based out of our Colorectal Cancer Center and you may participate in one or more of these trials to give you an extra treatment advantage that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Our researchers also learn all they can about your diagnosis, treatment and outcome. This helps us improve the care we provide and helps us develop new treatments for others in the future.
Scheduling appointments to keep treatments from overwhelming your life
We do our best to make your appointments more manageable by coordinating multiple visits to just one day or within a few days of each other. Each OSUCCC – James specialist you see will know everything about your diagnosis before you arrive.
After your initial appointments with our Colorectal Cancer Center specialists, our goal is to get your treatment started as quickly as possible.
If you have other physical or mental health concerns — even if they’re not directly related to your colorectal disease — we can refer you to other specialists as well.
Colorectal cancer screening
Colorectal cancer screening is not performed at the OSUCCC – James Colorectal Cancer Center. Instead, your primary care physician can provide a routine colorectal screening recommendation or get you referred for screening based on your symptoms.
If you are found to have a high risk for colorectal cancer, we can work with your primary provider to establish a regular screening schedule for prevention or surveillance following treatment at our center.
Screening will be tailored to your risk profile.
- Colorectal screening is usually done with a colonoscopy, which is a test that allows your doctor to see the entire length of your colon using a narrow, flexible tube that has a light and camera.
- Other screening methods that might be appropriate based on your health include: Fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test – Using a stool sample that you collect and send to a lab, both tests check for hidden or nonvisible blood, which may be an early indicator of colon cancer or polyps.
- Barium enema – This is a type of X-ray. Barium liquid, which acts as a contrast medium to provide a better view of your digestive tract, is injected into your rectum before the X-rays are taken.
- Sigmoidoscopy – While a colonoscopy examines the entire colon, this test is limited to the rectum and sigmoid colon, which are the lower parts of the colon.
- Virtual colonoscopy – Less invasive (but also less precise) than a colonoscopy, a virtual colonoscopy takes hundreds of images of the colon and rectum using a CT scan outside of the body.
Do you have a genetic risk for colorectal cancer?
The OSUCCC – James offers genetic counseling and testing for those who have a genetic predisposition or a hereditary condition that raises their risk of colorectal cancer.
- As examples, this can include being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, which may cause a specific gene mutation (APC I1307K familial adenomatous polyposis).
- You can also complete the Family Health Risk Calculator, an interactive tool that will tell you more about your hereditary risk for cancer and the steps you can take to prevent it.
While genetic testing isn’t a standard screening procedure for the general population, it can help high-risk individuals and their families develop a cancer prevention plan and gain more control over their health. Nearly all newly diagnosed patients with colorectal cancer will meet with our clinical genetics program assistant as part of our Clinical Cancer Genetics Program.
Before any tests, you’ll meet with a genetic counselor to get more information about testing, its benefits and potential results. If you decide to proceed, genetic testing is simple, usually involving a blood or saliva test.
While some people worry about knowing their genetic risk of developing colorectal cancer, this information can save your life. If a genetic link is discovered, we can increase screening and prevention methods or refer you to our Hereditary Colorectal Cancer Syndrome Clinic for more specialized care.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer
If you’re not feeling well or if any of the symptoms below continue for two weeks or more, you should follow up with your primary care doctor. While many of these symptoms are like those of other digestive diseases, you need a proper diagnosis to rule out a cause.
- A change in bowel habits, including more or less frequent bowel movements
- Blood (either bright red, very dark or black) in the stool
- Diarrhea, constipation or feeling that the bowel does not empty all the way
- Stools that are narrower than usual
- Frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness or cramps
- Weight loss for no known reason
- Feeling excessively tired
- Vomiting
(Source: National Cancer Institute)
The Colorectal Cancer Center team
Colorectal surgery
- Matthew Kalady, MD
- Mark Arnold, MD
- Lisa Cunningham, MD
- Alessandra Gasior, DO
- Alan Harzman, MD
- Emily Huang, MD
- Syed Husain, MBBS
- Nimalan Jeganathan, MD
- Amber Traugott, MD
Medical oncology
- Anne Noonan, MBBCh
- John Hays, MD, PhD
- Ning Jin, MD
- Ashish Manne, MBBS
- Arjun Mittra, MD
- Shafia Rahman, MD
- Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD
- Ewa Mrozek, MD
Radiation
Advanced practice provider/certified nurse practitioners
- Stephanie Dolan, APRN- CNP
- Allcia Finn, APRN-CNP
- Laura Hickey, APRN-CNP
- Scott Lake, APRN-CNP
- Stephanie Mitchem, APRN-CNP
- Jessica Walter, APRN-CNP
Our locations
Having more than one office location is another way to make treatment easier for you. Regardless of which location you visit, your medical records are stored electronically for easy, up-to-date reference by any member of your care team.
- The James at Martha Morehouse
- East Hospital
- Outpatient Care Upper Arlington
Helpful links
Innovations in Gastroenterology and GI and Colorectal Surgery
Division of General and GI Surgery
Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
Digestive Diseases We Treat