Cancer, Cancer Treatment

Friday November 7, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) — A study published in the Sep 2008 issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that testosterone therapy may be used to improve all domains of sexual function in postmenopausal women who experience hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

The review study found “Surgically menopausal women receiving testosterone experience significant increases in total satisfying sexual activity vs. women receiving placebo, significant improvement in all domains of sexual function, and decreases in personal distress, with a favorable safety profile.”

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A new era of intelligent cancer drug development has spurred a leap in the proportion of drugs reaching patients, according to a study by Cancer Research UK scientists published in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.

Scientists obtained data on 974 cancer drugs in clinical development, and calculated that there was a probability that 18 per cent of those entering the clinic would make it to market. Previously it was estimated that in some studies only five per cent of cancer drugs in the pipeline become standard treatments for the disease.

MONDAY, Nov. 17 — Psychological counseling may improve the chances of survival for breast cancer patients, a new study says.

Sessions that concentrate on mood improvement, effective coping and altering health behaviors appear to reduce stress and help the patient live longer, according to the report, published in the Dec. 15 issue of Cancer.

“If efficacious psychological interventions to reduce stress are delivered early, they will improve mental health, health and treatment-relevant behaviors, and potentially, biologic outcomes,” the authors wrote. “If so, there is the possibility for improved survivorship and survival for cancer patients.”

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