US Brand NamesFemara
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Description
Letrozole is used to treat certain types of breast cancer in women. Female hormones that occur naturally in the body can increase the growth of some breast cancers. Letrozole works by decreasing the amounts of these hormones in the body. This medicine is meant to be used only by women who have already stopped menstruating .
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription .
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, letrozole is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
Breast cancer that is hormone receptor-positive in women who have already gone through menopause (treatment before surgery) .
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Tablet
Letrozole Drug Information
Letrozole
Side Effects of Letrozole
What Is Letrozole Used For?
Letrozole Dosing
Drug Interactions With Letrozole
Precautions and Warnings With Letrozole
What Is Letrozole Used For? -- An Overview
Letrozole (Femara®) is a prescription medication used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Specifically, letrozole is used for the treatment of 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 for breast cancer
Have advanced or metastatic (spreading) breast cancer that is either hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-unknown.
Understanding Breast Cancer
Women in the United States get breast cancer more than any other type of cancer, except for skin cancer. Each year, more than 211,000 American women learn that they have the disease. Most breast cancer causes are not known. In 5 percent to 10 percent of these cases, there is a hereditary component. Some common breast cancer symptoms include:
A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area
A change in how the breast or nipple feels
Nipple tenderness
A change in how the breast or nipple looks
A change in the size or shape of the breast
A nipple turned inward into the breast
Nipple discharge (fluid).
In general, breast cancer treatment options can include:
Surgery (see Breast Cancer Surgery)
Radiation therapy (see Breast Cancer Radiation)
Chemotherapy (see Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer)
Hormone therapy, such as letrozole (see Breast Cancer Hormone Treatment)
Biological therapy (see Biological Therapy for Breast Cancer).
The treatment that is best for a particular person will depend on the stage of breast cancer (see Breast Cancer Treatment by Stage).
