COHA is a leading group of oncologists that offer medical oncology services within Anne Arundel County, Howard County and Queen Anne's County, Maryland. We remain committed to bringing the best oncology and hematology services to the residents of this area. Our knowledge, skills, and experience will guide you toward the best treatment options for your health and lifestyle. We offer today's most effective therapies, expertly and compassionately delivered in our infusion and medical centers.
Currently, seven physicians and more than thirty staff members are working at the four medical centers. Each office has infusion services and highly skilled oncology nurses. Tate Cancer Annapolis and Tate Cancer Center infusion suites are equipped with private treatment rooms for long infusions.
At COHA, we strive to continuously improve the health of our patients and the personal service we render through teamwork and compassionate care.
The specialty of oncology has greatly developed over the years, and there are many treatment modalities available to treat cancers. These include: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapies, and biologic and immune-mediated therapies.
Chemotherapy entails using specific medications administered to destroy cancer cells. While normal cells in the body grow and die in a controlled way, cancer cells tend to grow in an uncontrolled fashion and do not die when they should. Anticancer drugs are designed to stop these cells from growing and multiplying. Unfortunately, anticancer drugs can frequently injure other (normal) dividing cells in the body, which constitutes side effects of chemotherapy.
Researchers and clinical oncologists have found that cancers can frequently be treated more effectively by using multiple chemotherapy drugs at one time (combination chemotherapy).
The specific chemotherapy that is chosen for each patient is based upon what type of a tumor is being treated. While there is some overlap among the chemotherapies used for different cancers, combinations of medications for different tumors are usually different.
Always ask your oncologist and nurses any questions that concern you. You may even wish to keep notebooks to write down your questions so that you are sure that all of your questions are answered. The medical and nursing staff at Chesapeake Oncology Hematology Associates are always eager to answer your questions.
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the controlled use of radiation to treat cancer either for a cure or to reduce pain and other symptoms caused by cancer. It can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy and/or surgery to successfully treat many different types of cancer. A Radiation Oncologist is a physician who specializes in delivering radiation therapy.
Advanced technologies are used to deliver safe and effective doses of radiation to patients with cancer. The goal is to precisely deliver an adequate amount of radiation dose to treat cancer while protecting as much of the surrounding normal tissue as possible.
Radiation oncologists at COHA have access to advanced technologies and use sophisticated techniques when treating with radiation, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative body radiation (SABR), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and proton therapy. Patients will also have access to the latest national and institutional clinical trials through our partnership with the University of Maryland.
Your radiation oncologist will discuss treatment options tailored for you to provide comprehensive and compassionate care close to home.