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Prostate Cancer Treatments Per Prostate Cancer Treatments: Which is Best for Treating your Cancer? The treatment of prostate cancer depends upon many factors. The type of cancer, whether or not the cancer has spread (metastasized), a patient’s age, general health status, and prior prostate treatments the patient may have undergone. There are three standard therapies for men with organ-confined prostate cancer: Active Surveillance, Surgery and Radiation Therapy. Watchful Waiting or Active Surveillance? ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE In select patients with prostate cancer, the best choice may be active surveillance. Active surveillance also is called “watchful waiting.” Of the Prostate Cancer Treatments, Active surveillance may be recommended only if a cancer is not causing any symptoms and is expected to grow very slowly. This approach is sometimes suited for men who are older or have other serious health problems. Because some prostate cancers spread very slo...

Collected Vaginal Swab Self-Collected Vaginal Swabs for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Women who do not need a pelvic exam as part of their clinic evaluation may be screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea by providing a self-collected vaginal swab. Your healthcare provider should give you instructions and make sure you understand what to do before you start. This page explains the procedure.  (Illustrations courtesy of Gen-Probe Incorporated, San Diego CA) To collect a vaginal swab for gonorrhea/chlamydia testing:  1. Thoroughly wash your hands before starting. Undress from the waist down. 2. Read the instructions for using the test kit.  3. Open the kit package and set the tube of liquid to the side (do not open tube). 4. Partially peel open the swab package as directed, exposing the stick end of the swab (see picture 1). IMPORTANT: Do not touch the soft tip of the swab or lay the swab down. If the soft tip is touched, the swab is laid down, or the swab is dro...

Female hormones We discuss the effects hormones have on women as they mature, fall pregnant and go through the menopause More from Wellbeing Painful breasts The menstrual cycle PMS or PMDD? Getty   Plume Creative By  Gillian Rice   17 March 2011  One stereotyped view of women  portrays us all as creatures at the mercy of our hormones. 'Balls (or should it be ovaries?) to that!' I say. Our hormones undoubtedly have a huge influence on our lives, but there's no reason why we have to become slaves to them. The more we understand how hormones can affect the female body, mind and emotions – the better able we will be to minimise their negative effects and enhance their positive ones. Infancy Although we tend to think of hormones kicking in at puberty, they affect our bodies even during early childhood. Newborn babies (boys as wel...