Increasing the testosterone levels of female cancer survivors using testosterone cream did not improve their libido more than a placebo, according to a randomized controlled clinical trial in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Female cancer patients often experience decreased sexual desire, and previous studies have shown an association between testosterone therapy, also called androgen therapy, and increased libido in women with adequate estrogen levels. [click link for full article]

The baby brothers and sisters of autistic children do not seek emotional cues from adults, or respond to them, as often as other toddlers do, suggests new research from the University of California, San Diego.The study is the first to investigate “social referencing” behavior in children from families at high risk for autism and also points to profound differences in related measurements of brain activity, said lead researcher Leslie Carver. [click link for full article]

Study Confirms Tamoxifen Prevents Breast Cancer in High-Risk WomenWomen at high risk for breast cancer who have undergone a hysterectomy appear to benefit from taking tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer, according to an extended follow-up of the Italian Randomized Tamoxifen Trial.The initial findings from the Italian trial showed no significant reduction in breast cancer risk with tamoxifen use. [click link for full article]

CT angiography (CTA) alone is an effective, noninvasive means to detect peripheral vascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Charite Campus Benjamin Franklin in Berlin, Germany.Peripheral vascular disease refers to diseases of blood vessels outside the heart and brain. It’s often a narrowing of vessels that carry blood to the legs, arms, stomach or kidneys. [click link for full article]

The drug levosimendan did not improve survival for patients with decompensated heart failure when compared with a more widely-used treatment for this condition, dobutamine, according to a study in the JAMA.Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF; severe heart failure characterized by inability of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation) remains a common cause of hospitalization worldwide, but appropriate treatment is not always clear. [click link for full article]

Deaths from severe heart attacks following admission to hospital have nearly halved in six years as a result of advances in medical treatment.In the largest study of its kind, research led by the University of Edinburgh, analysed hospital treatment and outcomes for 44,372 patients admitted to 113 hospitals in 14 countries with heart attacks or unstable angina (threatened heart attacks). [click link for full article]

A combination of three different drugs that block the HER-2 receptor, a critical cellular growth signal for some breast cancers, eradicated aggressive breast tumors in mice and could point the way toward developing better treatments inpatients, said researchers from the Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. [click link for full article]

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CE-US) after a liver transplant is highly accurate in showing vascular as well as biliary complications, according to a recent study.The study consisted of 39 liver transplant recipients who underwent a CE-US exam after developing fluid in the abdomen and/or unclear liver function tests. [click link for full article]

Clinicians may be one step closer to having a critical tool in identifying which smokers are at higher risk for developing lung cancer, the deadliest of all cancers, thanks to an assessment model generated by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.The prediction tool detailed in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is the first designed to assign a score assessing a person’s risk for the disease. [click link for full article]

Scientists have discovered a way to distinguish pancreatic cancer from non-cancerous tissue, new research shows.The method may also distinguish patients who will survive longer than two years.The research examined pancreatic cancer cells for tiny molecules called microRNA (miRNA). It shows that relative levels of certain miRNAs can distinguish pancreatic cancer from nearby noncancerous tissue and from inflamed pancreatic tissue. [click link for full article]