NEWS HIGHLIGHTSMedia Articles Related to Femara (Letrozole)
Metformin Won't Aid Breast Cancer Survival in Diabetics
Source: MedicineNet Breast Specialty [2013.05.15]
Title: Metformin Won't Aid Breast Cancer Survival in Diabetics
Category: Health News
Created: 5/14/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/15/2013 12:00:00 AM
Angelina Jolie Has Double Mastectomy Because Of 87% Breast Cancer Risk
Source: Breast Cancer News From Medical News Today [2013.05.14]
Actress Angelina Jolie, who carries a mutation in her BRCA1 gene, announced that she has had a double mastectomy. Women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a significantly higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. According to Angelina Jolie, her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer before having her breasts surgically removed was 87%...
The Older Breast Cancer Survivor: What Does She Need?
Source: Medscape Nurses Headlines [2013.05.13]
Few studies have examined the experiences and needs of women living into old age after breast cancer treatment.
Medscape Nurses
Gene Expression Profiling In Breast Cancer
Source: Breast Cancer News From Medical News Today [2013.05.13]
Predicting outcomes for cancer patients based on tumor-immune system interactions is an emerging clinical approach, and new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is advancing the field when it comes to the most deadly types of breast cancer...
Social Interaction Can Help Relieve Breast Cancer Symptoms
Source: Breast Cancer News From Medical News Today [2013.05.12]
Breast cancer patients who have lots of friends and social relationships tend to cope with the pain and other symptoms associated with the disease better than those who are more isolated, according to new research published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. Lead author of the study Candyce H...
Published Studies Related to Femara (Letrozole)
Uptake of a randomized breast cancer prevention trial comparing letrozole to
placebo in BRCA1/2 mutations carriers: the LIBER trial. [2012]
Women with germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutations are considered as an
extreme risk population for developing breast cancer. Prophylactic mastectomy
provides a valid option to reduce such risk, impacting however, the quality of
life.Women with previous unilateral breast
cancer or prior prophylactic oophorectomy are more likely to enter a medical
prevention trial.
Longer-term outcomes of letrozole versus placebo after 5 years of tamoxifen in
the NCIC CTG MA.17 trial: analyses adjusting for treatment crossover. [2012]
crossed over to letrozole after being unblinded... CONCLUSION: Exploratory analyses based on longer follow-up and adjusting for
Extended high dose letrozole regimen versus short low dose letrozole regimen as an adjuvant to gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist protocol in poor responders undergoing IVF-ET*. [2011.12]
Objective.?To compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of extended high dose letrozole regimen/HPuFSH-gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist (GnRHant) protocol with short low dose letrozole regimen/HPuFSH-GnRHant protocol in poor responders undergoing IVF-ET.Conclusion.?Extended letrozole regimen/HPuFSH-GnRHant protocol was more cost-effective than short letrozole regimen/HPuFSH-GnRHant protocol in poor responders undergoing IVF-ET.
Clomiphene citrate versus letrozole: molecular analysis of the endometrium in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. [2011.10]
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole on endometrial receptivity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)...
[Letrozole vs. tamoxifen as neoadjuvant therapy for postmenopausal patients with hormone-dependent locally-advanced breast cancer]. [2011.09]
BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated that Letrozole (aromatase inhibitor) and tamoxifen (selective modulator of estrogen receptors) are effective in the treatment of postmenopausal women with locally advanced tumors, stage III and hormone dependent. OBJECTIVE: To present display the complete clinical answer incidence and the complete pathological answer with the use of induction hormonotherapy... CONCLUSIONS: Results although preliminary, suggest that neoadyuvant treatment with hormone-therapy in postmenopausal patients with breast cancer, have good prognosis. Induction therapy, were better tolerated, with greater effectiveness and improved the clinical and objective respond in women with breast cancer in the postmenopausal. Work serves as tool to determine the indication to us of induction hormonotherapy; and identify to those patients with breast cancer, locally advanced in post menopause with better prognosis to be rescued with radical mastectomy. Study needs more background and show the impact of letrozol, as hormonotherapy used in neoadjuvancy, to confirm if relieves period without disease or survives, before mastectomy. In a near future, it shall important to investigate if is useful the radical mastectomy in those postmenopausal patients with complete objective respond, after the use of an aromatase inhibitor.
Clinical Trials Related to Femara (Letrozole)
Comparing Letrozole Given Alone to Letrozole Given With Avastin in Post-Menopausal Women Breast Cancer [Recruiting]
This purpose of this trial is to show that the combination of Avastin and hormone therapy
should be more effective than hormone therapy alone for the treatment of breast cancer.
Food Study of Letrozole Tablets 2.5Â mg and Femara® Tablets 2.5Â mg [Completed]
The objective of this study was to investigate the bioequivalence of Mylan's letrozole 2. 5 mg
tablets to Novartis' Femara® 2. 5 mg tablets following a single, oral 2. 5 mg (1 x 2. 5 mg) dose
administered under fed conditions.
Fasting Study of Letrozole Tablets 2.5Â mg and Femara® Tablets 2.5Â mg [Completed]
The objective of this study was to investigate the bioequivalence of Mylan's letrozole 2. 5 mg
tablets to Novartis' Femara® 2. 5 mg tablets following a single, oral 2. 5 mg (1 x 2. 5 mg) dose
administered under fasting conditions.
Randomized Phase II Study of Preoperative Letrozole (Femara) in Combination With Avastin in Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer [Recruiting]
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the objective response rate of a combination of
letrozole (Femara) and bevacizumab (Avastin) given preoperatively to postmenopausal patients
with hormone sensitive breast cancer.
RCT of Fixed vs Titrated Letrozole in Breast Cancer Patient Undergoing IVF [Recruiting]
The purpose of this study is to compare two different ways to administer Letrozole to
determine their effectiveness in blocking estrogen production during ovarian stimulation in
patients with breast cancer prior to chemotherapy/radiotherapy so that oocytes or embryos
can be cryopreserved and patients can possibly achieve a pregnancy after the treatment of
breast cancer.
During standard ovulation stimulation, the estrogen levels will exceed normal levels and may
reach 10 times the normal level for a 2 week period. This may not be desirable in breast
cancer patients. The study hopes to determine if the investigators can stimulate oocyte
development in the conventional way and administer different doses of Letrozole as the
oocytes develop, to keep estradiol levels low, increase the number of oocytes the
investigators are able to recover, and improve the quality of those oocytes.
Reports of Suspected Femara (Letrozole) Side Effects
Arthralgia (52),
Death (41),
Neoplasm Malignant (39),
Myalgia (26),
Fatigue (26),
Pain (25),
Bone Pain (23),
Headache (21),
Dizziness (21),
Neoplasm Progression (20), more >>
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PATIENT REVIEWS / RATINGS / COMMENTSBased on a total of 2 ratings/reviews, Femara has an overall score of 5. The effectiveness score is 8 and the side effect score is 6. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst.
| | Femara review by 56 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Breast Cancer |
| Dosage & duration: | | 2.5 mg. taken daily for the period of over 2.5 years (so far) |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Since the tumor was estogen receptor positive, the treatment has resulted in any remaining canncer cells to be in remision.
The side effects were mild enough that regular activities were not interfered with for the most part.
It was a better alternative for me than Taxol chemotherapy which had severe side-effects for me. |
| Side effects: | | Hastened loss of estrogen which hastened loss of sex drive (after menopause).
Some temporary (fortuantely) arthritic conditions in a finger and thumb.
Hastened osteoporosis. That is my bone desity decreased severely after 2 1/2 years. |
| Comments: | | I take one tiny pill each morning with the vitamins that I take. There is no nausea or other immediate symptoms. It is simple to do. |
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| | Femara review by 54 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | breast cancer |
| Dosage & duration: | | 2.5 mg taken daily for the period of 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | osteopenia, depression |
| Other drugs taken: | | Effexor XR | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Aromatase inhibitor to reduce recurence of hormone-positive breast cancer- unknown effectiveness- no breast cancer 3 years after diagnosis |
| Side effects: | | Joint pain, reduction of bone mass |
| Comments: | | The first drug I was prescribed after a mastectomy and chemotherapy was Tamoxifen, which I took for almost 1 year. My oncologist said it increased bone mass, so she wanted to use that first to counteract the bone mass-decreasing side effect of the aromatase inhibitors. Their protocol is to use Tamoxifen for 2 years, then switch to an aromatase inhibitor for 3 years. However, I had some uterine bleeding ( I am post-menopausal) so they switched to Femara early. Tamoxifen may cause an increase in uterine cancer, which my grandmother had. The most annoying side effect of Femara is the increase in joint pain. NSAIDs and glucosamine help somewhat but have their own side effects. That said, I am willing to continue Femara for the next 2 years to help prevent cancer reccurence. I read in the literature (Medscape) that 51% of women do not complete their 5 yrs of either drug, and my guess is because of side effects. I take supplemental calcium also to slow the bone loss. |
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