Femara

Brand name: Femara

Chemical name: Letrozole

Class: Aromatase inhibitor hormonal therapy. Aromasin and Arimidex are other aromatase inhibitors.

How it works: Aromatase inhibitors lower the amount of estrogen in post-menopausal women.

Uses: Femara, used to treat post-menopausal women, typically is used to:

• reduce the risk of early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer coming back after surgery and other treatments
• reduce the risk of early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer coming back after 5 years of tamoxifen
• treat advanced-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer

Femara usually is taken for 5 years. Doctors may recommend that some women take it for a longer or shorter period of time.

How it's given: Femara is taken orally as a pill.

Side effects:

• pain in the legs, arms or back
• nausea
• mood swings
• depression
• headache
• joint pain
• weakened bones
• fatigue
• difficulty breathing

Read more about Femara.

Recent Research News on Femara

Compared to Tamoxifen, 5 Years of Femara Improves Survival

Femara and Tykerb Combo Better Than Femara Alone for Metastatic Hormone-Receptor-Positive, HER2-Positive Cancers

Femara May Improve Survival Compared to Tamoxifen