A study published in the medical journal ‘Cancer’ last month, researchers found that the mortality rate from cervical cancer is substantially higher than previously believed.  The research also found that there is a significant disparity in the rates of death between white women and black women with cervical cancer.

These findings are especially vexing because cervical cancer is easily treatable with proper treatment and follow-up.  A lack of proper screenings means that too often cancer isn’t detected until it is in an advanced stage.

Healthcare professionals are concerned that changes in the Affordable Care Act and reduced funding for women’s clinics like Planned Parenthood could result in even fewer screenings.

Dr. Rebecca Phaeton – Gynecologic Oncologist, Penn State Cancer Institute

Dr. Rebecca Phaeton, a gynecologic oncologist at Penn State Cancer Institute, will join Smart Talk to talk about screening and treatment of cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancer.

Also, in September of last year, Scott Hoke arrived at the home of his estranged wife, Susan, shot her to death and then turned the gun on himself.  The couple’s 17-year-old daughter was in the house during the shooting.

Susan Hoke had sought a protection-from-abuse order from a York County judge, and Scott was arrested for violating it.  Despite a state law that dictates guns are to be seized from the arrestee in such a case, Scott was allowed to keep his guns.  He had more than a dozen.

Susan Hoke

There were many safety nets established to protect Susan Hoke from her abusive husband, but he seemed to slip between them all.  State lawmakers proposed legislation to close this loophole, though no action has been taken.

York Daily Record reporter Ed Mahon has written extensively about this case and the discrepancies in protective law that allows abusers to retain possession of their firearms.  Mahon joins Smart Talk to discuss his findings and how state officials are looking to remedy this gap in protective enforcement.

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on cervical cancer:

– Why does testing stop at 70? It seems extremely shortsighted when many women will live another 20-30 yrs.                                – Jim, Newberrytown