Femara
® (
letrozole) is a prescription medication used to treat
breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Specifically, the drug has been licensed to treat postmenopausal women who:
- Have early breast cancer that is hormone receptor-positive and who have had surgery
- Have taken tamoxifen (Nolvadex®, Soltamox™) for five years after surgery or radiation therapy for breast cancer
- Have advanced or metastatic (spreading) breast cancer that is either hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-unknown.
(Click Femara Uses for more information on what the drug is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Femara is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
Femara is part of a group of medications called aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase is an enzyme found in various places in the body. These enzymes help produce estrogens (in particular, a certain estrogen called estradiol). In postmenopausal women, most of the estrogen in the body is made by aromatase. By blocking these enzymes, Femara helps to decrease the amount of estrogen in the body.
Many breast cancers are sensitive to the estrogen hormone, meaning that the tumor grows with its help. When a tumor is sensitive to estrogen, it has receptors on the outer surface of its cells, into which estrogen fits like a key opening a lock. When this connection is made, the cancer grows. Breast cancers that have estrogen (and/or progesterone) receptors are known as hormone receptor-positive tumors.
Several studies have looked at the effects of Femara in women with
breast cancer. One study looked at the drug's effectiveness as an adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer.
Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer is treatment that follows
breast cancer surgery (with or without radiation). It is given to help prevent the cancer from returning. These studies compared Femara with
tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early cancer. Taking Femara reduced the chances of the cancer returning by up to 17 percent when compared to tamoxifen.
Other studies showed that switching to Femara after taking tamoxifen for five years, compared to not taking anything after five years of tamoxifen, can reduce the chances of breast cancer recurring (coming back).
Studies have also compared Femara to tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. These women had tumors that were either hormone receptor-positive or for which the receptor status was not known. In these studies, Femara was at least as effective as tamoxifen in terms of how the cancer responded to the medication (either by shrinking the tumor or stopping its growth) and time to progression. "Time to progression" is a medical term that means from the time that the cancer is treated until the disease starts to get worse, such as when the cancer spreads (metastasizes) or the tumor increases in size. In these studies, time to progression was, on average, up to 9.4 months for Femara and, on average, up to 6 months for tamoxifen.
Some general considerations for when and how to take Femara include the following:
- The medication comes in tablet form and is taken by mouth once a day.
- You can take it with or without food. If the drug bothers your stomach, try taking it with food.
- Femara should be taken at the same time each day to maintain an even level in your blood.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. Femara will not work if you stop taking it.
The dose of Femara your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
As always, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Femara. However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, they are mostly minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. Serious side effects are less common.
Common side effects include but are not limited to:
(Click Femara Side Effects to learn more, including potentially serious side effects you should report immediately to your healthcare provider.)
You can read about specific side effects in the following eMedTV articles:
What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Femara?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking this drug if you have:
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
You should also make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
What If I Take an Overdose?
In previous studies, large doses of Femara did not cause any serious problems. However, if you happen to take too much of the drug, you should seek immediate medical attention.
How Should Femara Be Stored?
Femara should be stored at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. The tablets should be kept in an airtight container.
Keep this and all other medications out of the reach of children.
What Should I Do If I Miss a Dose?
If you do not take your Femara as scheduled, take your missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Femara is available in one strength -- Femara 2.5 mg tablets.
Is There a Generic Version of Femara?
Currently, there is no generic version of Femara licensed for sale
(see Generic Femara).
