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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is one of the leading causes of disease-related deaths in children. Thanks to advances in treatment, early detection and specialized pediatric oncology, survival rates for many childhood cancers have improved. 

This is part one of a two-episode series on childhood cancer. Mohamad Al-Rahawan, M.D., pediatric oncologist with Texas Tech Physicians, answers our questions about childhood cancer and explains why and how it's different from cancer in adults. Dr. Al-Rahawan also encourages our listeners to support the upcoming Lubbock Pediatric Cancer Walk on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.

In the next episode, you’ll hear again from Dr. Al-Rahawan and how a family dealt not only with a cancer diagnosis for their daughter, but how they managed having to travel for treatments and emergencies and being away from the rest of their family.

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By now, college students have had time to settle into their new routines. That's why now is the time for them to get to know their student health center. Our guest for this episode is Erika Radford, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians family medicine doctor and assistant medical director at Student Health Services. She talks to us about the many services available for students at TTUHSC and TTU, but make sure to check with your university or college health center because many of them offer the same types of services. Dr. Radford tells us what students can expect to find at the health center, what screenings students should strongly consider getting and why it's worth your time and money to visit your student health center.

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Preview of the new season.

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A few weeks ago we covered pelvic floor dysfunction in men. So for this episode, we’re focusing on pelvic floor dysfunction in women. Our expert is physical therapist Ashlee Crawford, DPT, Texas Tech Physicians Physical Therapy Specialty Clinic in Amarillo. She answers our questions about causes, symptoms —treatments and how to go about seeking treatment — and how we can encourage people to talk about this more. 

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Children need constant supervision, but what can parents or caregivers do when trouble finds the kiddos? Spencer Pruitt, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician, answers our questions about potentially emergency situations such as animal bites or stings, drownings, handling a wild animal or being bitten by one. Dr. Pruitt also answers our questions about children and dehydration and food poisoning and when we should take our child to the emergency room or primary care provider. 

Additional notes:

Previous child safety episode: Keeping Kids Safe: A Guide to Burn Prevention

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If you’re in a certain age range, your feeds or timelines might include ads about pelvic floor dysfunction. Some people might think it's a problem just for women, but our guests for this episode did a wonderful job of educating us about how pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects men. A previous guest who spoke to us about testosterone treatments, Melissa Bowyer is a family nurse practitioner at the Texas Tech Physicians Multispecialty Clinic. Melissa brought Robert Roten, a local physical therapist and TTUHSC alumnus to explain how physical therapy helps treat PFD. They answer questions about pelvic floor dysfunction – what are the causes, how common is it, what are the symptoms, how is it treated and how can we encourage more people to talk about this more?

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Clinical trials are the future of medicine, to borrow a phrase. Every medication on the market right now was at one point in time subject to a clinical trial. Our guest for this episode, Jennifer Kesey, Ph.D., associate managing director for the Clinical Research Institute at TTUHSC, explains to us what a clinical trial is, the different types of trials and how to participate in one. 

For more information on how to volunteer for a clinical trial visit: https://app4.ttuhsc.edu/CRIVolunteer/

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Moms and moms-to-be need all the support they can get. One of those sources of support is housed in the TTUHSC School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics in Amarillo. The Infant Risk Center is a call center used by physicians, nurse, lactation consultants and mothers worldwide. Our guest for this episode is director of the Infant Risk Center of Excellence, Kaytlin Krutsch, Ph.D., Pharm.D. 

Dr. Krutsch tells us all about the IRC and the information they provide. Dr. Krutsch goes on to explain how substances transfer to breast milk, the most common concerns and questions the IRC addresses, how we can support the IRC and moms, and in a world full of artificial intelligence, assures us that when someone calls the center, they’re speaking to an actual health care provider. 

Infant Risk Center: 1-806-352-2519

Resources: infantrisk.com/infantrisk-center-resources

Support: infantrisk.com/donate

MommyMeds for Moms:
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InfantRisk for Healthcare Professionals:
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June is Men’s Health Month, and we want to bring attention to male infertility. Why this is an important health topic is one of the questions we ask our expert for this episode, Samuel Prien, Ph.D., professor and director of clinical research laboratories in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the School of Medicine. Dr. Prien explains what factors contribute to male fertility and infertility, what is considered a healthy sperm count and what lifestyle factors could affect sperm health. He encourages us to talk about this topic more openly so couples thinking about conceiving might possibly save time and money by first checking the male’s fertility. 

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Financial insecurity can negatively affect our sleep and nutrition and cause social isolation. All of these take a toll on our mental health. Michele Mahr, Ph.D., assistant professor at the TTUHSC School of Health Professions Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling department of clinical counseling and mental health, is out guest expert for this episode. Dr. Mahr emphasizes the importance of open communication about financial stress with families and relationships. She also advices seeking professional help when financial stress significantly impacts our mental health and daily functioning. Dr. Mahr encourages that we exercise and try positive affirmations to help reduce stress, but emphasizes the importance of being authentic and identifying with ourselves rather than seeking external validation through things.