Medically Speaking Podcast

Cervical cancer once was the leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. But the death rate - as well as the number of cases of cervical cancer - has declined dramatically because more women are having regular Pap tests to detect abnormalities. According to Dr. Sarah Temkin, an oncologist who specializes in treating gynecologic cancers at the University of Maryland Medical Center, more than half of the women diagnosed with cervical cancer in this country have never had a Pap smear. Dr. Temkin, who is also an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, explains that most cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. In this interview, she tells Karen Warmkessel that HPV infection is very common, but only a small fraction of those who are infected develop cervical cancer. Dr. Temkin also discusses the new HPV vaccine and new guidelines regarding when young women should start getting regular Pap smears.

Results of a major national study, released in spring 2010, compared two methods for treating blockages in the carotid arteries, which are the main pathways for blood getting to your brain. Blockages in these arteries dramatically increase the chance for stroke, so researchers wanted to know which method, surgery or stenting, provided the best outcome for patients. In this interview with Sharon Boston, Dr. Brajesh Lal, a vascular surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, discusses the results of the study called CREST (Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial). Dr. Lal was one of the lead authors of the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Lal is also an associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Interventional radiologists use images, such as X-rays and CT scans, as tools to steer therapies through blood vessels to treat a variety of problems, ranging from uterine fibroids to brain aneurysms. In this interview with Sharon Boston, Dr. Ziv Haskal, chief of vascular and interventional radiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, discusses minimally invasive treatments offered by interventional radiologists. Topics covered in this interview include pelvic pain, uterine fibroids, varicose veins, peripheral arterial disease and treatments for cancer in the liver, lungs, kidneys and bones. Dr. Haskal is also professor of radiology and surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

More than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the United States, and about 14,000 die from the disease. It's been called the "silent killer" because the symptoms are vague and the cancer often isn't diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage. Dr. Sarah Temkin, an oncologist who specializes in treating gynecologic cancers at the University of Maryland Medical Center, says that the most common form occurs in epithelial cells, or the outside lining, of the ovary. In this Medically Speaking podcast, Dr. Temkin, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, tells Karen Warmkessel that about 10 percent of ovarian cancers are linked to genes. Mutations in the BRCA genes run in families and are tied to increased risk for both breast and ovarian cancers, she says. Women who have these gene mutations should be screened and monitored closely.

Many people with kidney failure who undergo hemodialysis develop scarring at the site where the dialysis machines connect to their bodies. This scarring causes the blood vessels to become narrowed or blocked, which can impede blood flow. These patients may then need repeated procedures, such as angioplasty, to open the blood vessels. But a study shows that a new stent is effective at keeping the vessels open longer, reducing the number of angioplasties that patient need to re-open the vessels. In this podcast, Dr. Ziv Haskal talks about his study and describes hemodialysis. Dr. Haskal's study on the new stent is published in the February 11, 2010, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Chronic kidney disease can have a major impact on a person's health. While many primary care physicians treat people with kidney disease, their patients may benefit if their doctor collaborates with a kidney disease specialist. In this podcast interview, Dr. Clarissa Diamantidis, a nephrologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, describes the importance of collaboration with a kidney specialist and suggests how it can benefit patients. Speaking with Bill Seiler, Dr. Diamantidis explains the results of a study she led on this topic. She also says that specialists can provide strategies for slowing down the progression of chronic kidney disease and suggests other steps to keep a person as healthy as possible. Dr. Diamantidis is also an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.