Can J Urol
-
Review Historical Article
Female circumcision: history, medical and psychological complications, and initiatives to eradicate this practice.
Female circumcision - a procedure where the parts of the female genitals are removed, which is also known as female genital cutting (FGC) or female genital mutilation (FGM) - continues to be practiced in more than 28 African countries. It is estimated that 80-100 million women have been circumcised. We performed a review of the literature to examine the history of female circumcision, its medical and psychological consequences, and government and non-government educational initiatives that are currently being taken to eradicate this practice.
-
To assess outcome and predictive factors in men with prostate cancer who receive post radical prostatectomy (RP) radiotherapy (RT) either in the adjuvant or salvage setting, with or without neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (NADT). ⋯ Pre-RT PSA is an important predictor of outcome. NADT appears to benefit patients who presented with a pre-RT PSA > 0.2 ng/ml, particularly for patients receiving SRT. NADT can be considered for patients receiving RT after RP who present with a high pre-RT PSA but may not be necessary for patients without. Results of ongoing randomized studies such as RADICALS will also help clarify the role of hormone therapy in conjunction with RT.
-
Biography Historical Article
The "infertility" of Catherine de Medici and its influence on 16th century France.
Catherine de Medici, queen consort of King Henry II of France, was a powerful woman at a time when power for her sex was determined by fecundity. A decade long history of infertility might have placed her at risk for condemnation, but her husband's known urologic abnormalities played in her favor. This presentation will address the penile deformity of her husband, Henry II, and how this likely played a crucial role in her eventual rise to power, the interventions undertaken with regard to her purported infertility, and the historical ramifications when Catherine de Medici went on to have children. ⋯ Henry II was born with hypospadias and chordee, and this contributed to the inability of Catherine de Medici to conceive a child for the first 10 years of their marriage. The cure of "her" infertility changed the course of history, as she subsequently ruled in the name of her sons following the death of Henry II.