Sad news for the female cancer survivors out there with decreased libido. Topical testosterone creams do not seem to work. A decrease in libido is a common problem among female cancer survivors.

When is our Viagra going to come out?

Seriously though, its tough being in a position where chemotherapy wrecks havoc on our bodies and ruins our libido -- then we are told there is nothing we can do about it. I'm a breast cancer survivor with estrogen positive disease so it is not recommended that I use any supplemental estrogen.

Testosterone cream was tried out in a study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, that included 150 post-menopausal breast cancer survivors. Half received the testosterone cream and the other half a placebo. The study found that there was no statistical difference in libido between the testosterone cream and placebo groups.

However, all women in the study did show some increase in sexual desire. What that means is that just thinking it might work made some women more horny -- this is known as the placebo effect.

Seven years ago, my husband and I owned a Mustang GT. A black one with black leather interior. Our car was clean and waxed and clear of clutter. It was small and sporty and we loved it. Others loved it. We were cool. We thought so, anyway.

We don't think we are so cool now, however. We are happy, with our two children, our dented and dirty Honda Odyssey mini-van, and all the gear -- books, toys, wet wipes, a scooter, a Big Wheel, and even a little potty -- that fills the vast space of our latest vehicle. But I am not sure anyone would ever call us cool as we cruise around town in our family ride.

My husband, John, dreams of getting another Mustang. And he's primed our three-year-old son for the same dream. Danny can spot a Mustang a mile away, regardless of its year, its color, or its condition. He loves a rag-top. He prefers yellow. And he promises to buy his daddy a black Mustang as soon as he wins the lottery.

I told John last night that Ford is about to release a new Mustang, with both the exterior paint and interior stitching trimmed in pink. "Let's get it," John said, without hesitation. He isn't worried he'll look less than macho in a pink Mustang. He just wants one. And while his intentions faded a bit when he learned Ford will offer only V6 models, he still thinks a pink pony car is a cool concept.

Not everyone likes the idea of a Mustang marketed at women, says analyst Erich Merkle of IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids who adds that the Mustang is an iconic brand based on a special mix of speed and testosterone. Ford should not mess with success, he believes.

But Ford expects its Warriors in Pink trim package, slated to release this summer, to be nothing short of a success -- in more ways than one.

A portion of Mustang profits will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research. Ford has long been a sponsor of this organization and over the years has donated $87 million. In addition, the pink initiative could attract new buyers to the car, marked by slipping sales in recent months.

While all details have not been released, the newest Mustang will be available in a few colors, and customers will have the choice of convertible or hardtop.

Some women opt to remove their ovaries to prevent breast cancer recurrence. I considered it -- and then decided I would not take such an extreme measure when I wasn't all that sure I was done having children.

Now, ovary removal may not be necessary -- because a new chemical equivalent of surgery allows women to temporarily shut down their ovaries while preserving their fertility.

The shutdown of the ovaries is called chemopause, and women who choose to go this route receive monthly injections -- considered a super-hormone treatment -- of a drug that blocks the male hormone testosterone and is often used to treat prostate cancer.

Chemopause has big advantages. It doesn't require surgery. And it's not permanent. Women who want to have children can stop the treatment in order to conceive. And women who have trouble with side effects can discontinue use of the surgery-sparing drugs.

The ovary-suppressing drugs -- triptorelin, goserelin, leuprolide, and buserelin -- can be used in place of or on top of standard chemotherapy and hormone therapy and are showing promise in their ability to decrease incidences of breast cancer recurrence.

Medical professionals agree there is value in ovarian suppression. Studies show women whose periods do not return after chemotherapy -- which often causes early menopause -- have lower relapse rates than women whose periods resume. So shutting down the ovaries and stopping menstruation may not be such a bad idea -- and not such an extreme measure either.

Hormonal therapy is one of the many treatment options for prostate cancer. It is given to lower testosterone levels or block the effects of testosterone, which can stimulate the growth of hormone-dependent types of prostate cancer.

Hormonal therapy can have side effects and one of these can be bone loss. According to an article recently published in the Journal of Urology, Zometa (zoledronic acid) appears to reduce bone loss caused by hormone therapy among patients with prostate cancer that has not metastasized.

A clinical study was conducted to further evaluate Zometa among men with prostate cancer. The study included 120 men who have been treated with hormone therapy in the past twelve months. Indications of bone loss were reduced among patients treated with Zometa but were increased among patients receiving the placebo. The researchers suggest that measuring of bone density before therapy begins may help physicians more appropriately identify patients who should receive immediate therapy with Zometa.

One of the commonly-prescribed drug treatments for men with prostate cancer, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH), might put them at risk for the development of diabetes or heart disease, according to a large observational study conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers.

Given by injection, this drug blocks the production of testosterone, a hormone that fuels prostate cancer. Because this treatment can be given for a prolonged period of time, researchers feel that doctors and prostate cancer patients should be made aware of the potential risks and weigh those against the benefit of treatment.

"Men with prostate cancer have high five-year survival rates, but they also have higher rates of non-cancer mortality than healthy men," says study author Dr Nancy Keating. For more information regarding this study, read Prostate Cancer Treatment Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease.

Double the hormone, double the risk. Or so says one study of older women who take hormone pills. When estrogen and testosterone are combined, women face twice the chance of getting breast cancer, according to a study of more than 70,000 nurses. This type of combination therapy may help with mood, libido, and bone density -- but the possible risk of breast cancer may just outweigh these benefits. These findings, published in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, add to the evidence that certain types of hormone supplements -- like estrogen-progestin pills -- increase risk of breast cancer, strokes, and heart attacks in women. Other research points to a link between breast cancer and high natural levels of testosterone.

Women's natural levels of estrogen and testosterone decrease with menopause. Use of supplements has climbed over the past 24 years, perhaps putting more women at more risk. Estrogen-testosterone pills are sold under the brand names Estratest and Estratest H.S. and appear on a Washington-based advocacy group's "Worst Pills" list because of breast cancer risk.

Beckman Research Institute's Department of Surgical Research Dr. Shiuan Chen has concluded the white button mushrooms offer both breast cancer and prostate cancer protection, and may be a significant nutritional resource as a cancer prevention food. Compounds found in white button mushrooms are capable of suppressing aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of estrogen. For estrogen positive breast cancers, the suppression of estrogen is important, as estrogen fuels the spread of estrogen-positive breast cancer. Dr. Chen suggests postmenopausal women may benefit from a daily diet of white button mushrooms for cancer prevention.

In addition, Dr. Chen found that the phytochemicals in white button mushrooms suppressed steroid 5alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, DHT, which, if allowed to rise, can lead to the development of prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate. In cell culture experiments mushroom extracts suppressed the growth of both hormone dependent and hormone independent prostate cancer cell lines, and can decrease the size of a tumor. The research indicates that men may benefit from a daily diet that includes mushrooms as a means of prostate cancer prevention. As an interesting side note, the mushroom extracts tested seem to have the ability to slow hair loss, because over production of DHT can lead to hair loss. For more information, download Mushroom Council Nutrition Research Update 2005, available as a PDF document, found in the drop down menu.