Letrozole Femara Uses, Side Effects & Dosage

There is little evidence for cross sensitivity to liver injury between letrozole and tamoxifen or even among the various aromatase inhibitors (which have distinctly different chemical structures). Adverse reactions that were reported in at least 5% of the patients treated with letrozole 2.5 mg or tamoxifen 20 mg in the first-line treatment study are shown in Table 4. Tamoxifen reduces blood levels of letrozole when both drugs are administered together. However, in clinical studies the benefit of letrozole was not reduced when administered immediately after tamoxifen. Therefore, estrogen containing products counteract the effect of letrozole.

What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?

Researchers found that anastrozole was more closely linked to bone fractures. More research is needed to find out why anastrozole may cause more bone fractures. The median age of patients in all studies of first-line and second-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer was 64 to 65 years. About 1/3 of the patients were greater than or equal to 70 years old.

What else should I know about letrozole?

Hormone therapy for breast cancer is only used to treat cancers that are hormone sensitive.
We explain the most common side effects of this treatment here.
Talk to your doctor if your hot flushes are hard to cope with.
You should talk with your doctor to discuss which hot flash treatments are best for you.
They may recommend that you take Femara after you’ve had surgery to remove early breast cancer.With early breast cancer, the cancer hasn’t spread beyond your breast or the lymph nodes in your armpit.

Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body’s response to letrozole. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication. You may need to take letrozole for several years or longer. Do not stop taking letrozole without talking to your doctor. Drugs are often studied to find out if they can help treat or prevent conditions other than the ones they are approved for. This patient information sheet applies only to approved uses of the drug.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Carefully controlled studies to research the safety and benefits of new drugs and therapies. We know that it is common to struggle with your https://www.rayco.co/aicar-50-mg-peptide-sciences-dosage/ mental health when you have cancer or care for someone with cancer.

If you can become pregnant, use effective birth control while you are taking letrozole and for at least 3 weeks after your last dose. Talk to your healthcare provider about your birth control options. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have unprotected sex or if you think your birth control has failed. In women, aromatase inhibitors are only used in those who have gone through menopause. They cannot be used unless your body is in natural menopause or in menopause induced by medicines or removal of the ovaries. In men, aromatase inhibitors are typically used with other medicines to better block hormones in the body.

It’s sometimes prescribed in a combination pack with the drug ribociclib succinate. This combo is thought to be more effective than letrozole alone in some cases. Advise females and males of reproductive potential of the potential for reduced fertility from letrozole see Use in Specific Populations (8.3).