Femara

Drugs

Generic Name: Letrozole
Product Name: Femara

Indication of Femara
Action of Femara
Dose advice of Femara
Schedule of Femara
Common side effects of Femara
Uncommon side effects of Femara
Reference

Indication of Femara:

Femara is indicated for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. In early breast cancer, it is indicated for initial or extended adjuvant therapy. In advanced cases, it is indicated as first line treatment, or after tamoxifen therapy has failed.

Femara is not indicated for hormone receptor-negative breast cancer.

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Action of Femara:

The active ingredient of Femara is letrozole.

Letrozole is an inhibitor of the aromatase enzyme complex, which is responsible for producing active oestrogens. The growth of many breast cancers is stimulated by oestrogen, so by inhibiting this enzyme and reducing the amount of circulating oestrogen, letrozole can stop the growth of these tumours.

Letrozole is very selective for that particular enzyme complex, and does not affect other hormones. Therefore it has fewer side effects.

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Dose advice of Femara:

Dose information:

Femara may be taken with or without food.
Treatment should be continued for five years, or until tumour relapse occurs.
Metastatic disease: Continue treatment until tumour progression can be seen.

Recommended dose:

1 tablet (2.5 mg) a day.

Contraindications:

Femara should not be taken under certain circumstances. Tell your doctor if you have:

Hypersensitivity to letrozole or any other ingredients
Premenopause
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding

Precautions:

Special care must be taken when using Femara in certain conditions. Tell your doctor if you have:

Impaired kidney function
Severe liver cirrhosis
Hormone receptor negative breast cancer
Women with childbearing potential: Contraception is required.

Pregnancy:

Femara is an ADEC Category D drug. If taken during pregnancy, Femara may cause irreversible damage or malformation to the foetus. Do not use Femara if you are pregnant.

Breastfeeding:

It is not known if Femara is excreted into human milk. Do not use Femara while breastfeeding.

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Schedule of Femara:

Femara is Schedule 4.

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Common side effects of Femara:

All medicines have side effects. Some side effects can be serious, but the most common ones are mild. Common side effects occurring in more than 1% of patients prescribed Femara include:

Hot flushes
Vaginal dryness
Fatigue
Indigestion, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation
Weight loss, increased appetite
Weakness
Headache
Muscle and joint pain
Reduced bone mass density
Fractures
Swelling in feet and ankles
Rash
Hair thinning
Depression

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Uncommon side effects of Femara:

Side effects which occur in less than 1% of patients given Femara are considered uncommon. Patients do not necessarily experience any of these side effects, so do not become alarmed by this list:

If you experience any of the listed side effects, or any other symptoms which appear abnormal or unusual, please tell your doctor.

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Reference:

MIMS Online. Femara [online]. 11 February 2008 [cited 21 November 2008]. Available from URL: http://www.mims/com.au
Australian Medicines Handbook. Letrozole [online]. July 2008 [cited 21 November 2008]. Available from URL: http://www.amh.net.au
Lazo J, Gilman A, Brunton L, Parker K. Goodman & Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2005.

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