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 postmenopausal women.
Uses: Femara, used to treat postmenopausal 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
- high cholesterol
Read more about Femara.
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