Giving a female hormone known as a progestogen or progesterone is one of a number of ways in which doctors can try and improve the appetite of people who have cancer. The two drugs most commonly used are megestrol acetate (also known as Megace) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (also known as Provera). Both are taken in tablet form.

Tests have shown that both these drugs can improve appetite and lead to a gain in weight (though this is probably due to an increase in fat rather than muscle). Certainly the quality of life of many patients has been improved by taking these drugs.

There is also some recent evidence that they may work even better if taken together with another type of drug called a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). These drugs are often used for arthritis and include agents like ibuprofen or naproxen and diclofenac.

You are quite right that progestogens are synthetic versions of female hormones but these particular hormones do not have any feminising effects so they will not affect your husband's masculinity in any way.