Dr. Christopher D Packey M.D., PH.D.

As with any cancer, genetic factors play a role in colon cancer as well. However, greater than 75% to 90% of the population develops colon cancer with little or no genetic risk. This means that genetic factors play only a minor role in colon cancers.What are the genetic factors that predispose you...

“No matter what happens, I’m going to get through it. Just to focus on the good things that’s going to happen," said Jakob Zernick, an eleven-year-old 6th grader at Central Cambria Middle School in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. This is a pretty profound statement for anyone to make but it’s an...

Health care personnel can identify many cases of appendicitis by checking the patient's medical history and then doing a physical examination of the individual.The health care personnel will ask questions like:...

A biopsy procedure is a very important procedure, which is used to identify the underlying cause of your abnormal body tissues. Depending on your condition and the location of the tissue abnormality, different types of biopsies may be performed on you. A biopsy preparation, therefore, depends on...

According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, Crohn’s disease affects over 780,000 individuals living in the United States. Widely known as a common type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s causes chronic inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract. ...

Introduction Discovering blood after a bowel movement can be a frightening experience. If you notice a bright red to black-colored blood in your stool, in the toilet bowl, or on the toilet paper, you may be experiencing rectal bleeding. Having blood in your stool does not always signal a serious...