What is letrozole?

Letrozole lowers estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, which may slow the growth of certain types of breast tumors that need estrogen to grow in the body.

Letrozole is used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It is often given to women who have been taking tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox) for 5 years.

Letrozole may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Letrozole side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Common side effects of letrozole may include:

• hot flashes, warmth or redness in your face or chest;
• headache, dizziness, weakness;
• bone pain, muscle or joint pain;
• swelling, weight gain;
• increased sweating; or
• increased cholesterol in your blood.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA .

Warnings

You should not use letrozole if you are pregnant.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use letrozole if you are allergic to it.

letrozole is for use only in women who can no longer get pregnant. Letrozole can harm an unborn baby. Do not use if you are pregnant. Use effective birth control if you are not past menopause. Keep using birth control for at least 3 weeks after your last dose of letrozole. Tell your doctor if you think you may be pregnant.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• liver disease (especially cirrhosis);
• osteoporosis, osteopenia (low bone mineral density);
• high cholesterol; or
• if you also take tamoxifen.

You should not breastfeed while you are using letrozole and for at least 3 weeks after your last dose.

How should I take letrozole?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

You may take letrozole with or without food.

You will need frequent medical tests, and your bone mineral density may also need to be checked.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Letrozole dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Breast Cancer:

2.5 mg orally once a day

Duration of therapy:
-Adjuvant and extended adjuvant settings: Optimal duration is unknown; discontinue therapy at relapse.
-Advanced disease: Until tumor progression is evident.

Uses:
-Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer
-Extended adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have received 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy
-First-line treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive or unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer; second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy

Usual Adult Dose for Breast Cancer — Adjuvant:

2.5 mg orally once a day

Duration of therapy:
-Adjuvant and extended adjuvant settings: Optimal duration is unknown; discontinue therapy at relapse.
-Advanced disease: Until tumor progression is evident.

Uses:
-Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer
-Extended adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have received 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy
-First-line treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive or unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer; second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line.

What should I avoid while taking letrozole?

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how letrozole will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

What is Aromasin?

Aromasin ) lowers estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, which may slow the growth of certain types of breast tumors that need estrogen to grow in the body.

Aromasin is used to treat early and advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Early breast cancer is cancer that has not spread outside the breast. Advanced breast cancer is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Aromasin is sometimes given after you have taken tamoxifen for 2 or 3 years, or if tamoxifen did not work or has stopped working.

Warnings

You should not use Aromasin if you are allergic to exemestane, if you have not started menopause, or if you are pregnant or able to become pregnant.

Do not use Aromasin if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

Before using this medicine, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease, or if you have not yet completed menopause and are still having menstrual periods.

Use Aromasin regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely. You may need to keep taking take this medicine for up to 5 years. Follow your doctor’s instructions. This medicine may not work as well if you take it together with hormone replacement medication.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Aromasin if you are allergic to exemestane, or if:

• you are pregnant or able to become pregnant; or
• you have not yet completed menopause, and are still having menstrual periods.

Some drugs should not be used together with Aromasin. Your doctor may change your treatment plan if you also use medicines that contain estrogen, such as:

• birth control pills, patches, injections, or implants; or
• hormone replacement therapy.

To make sure Aromasin is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• liver or kidney disease; or
• if you are still having menstrual periods.

Exemestane can decrease bone mineral density, which may increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor about your individual risk of bone loss.

This medicine is for use only in women who can no longer get pregnant. Exemestane can harm an unborn baby. Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this treatment.

If you are not past menopause, use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are taking Aromasin and for at least 1 month after your last dose. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.

This medicine may affect fertility (your ability to have children). However, if you are not past menopause you should still use birth control to prevent pregnancy because exemestane can harm an unborn baby.

You should not breastfeed while using this medicine and for 1 month after your last dose.

How should I take Aromasin?

Take Aromasin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.

Aromasin is usually taken once per day, after a meal. Try to take the medicine at the same time each day.

You will need frequent medical tests.

Your doctor may have you take extra vitamin D while you are taking Aromasin. Take only the amount of vitamin D that your doctor has prescribed.

Use Aromasin regularly to get the most benefit. You may need to keep taking take this medication for up to 5 years.

Store in the original container at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Breast Cancer:

25 mg orally once a day

Comment:
-This drug should be administered after a meal.

Uses:
-Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive early breast cancer who have received two to three years of tamoxifen and are switched to exemestane for completion of a total of five consecutive years of adjuvant hormonal therapy.
-Treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose disease has progressed following tamoxifen therapy.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line .

What to avoid

Follow your doctor’s instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

Aromasin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Aromasin: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• chest pain or pressure;
• new or unusual bone pain;
• swelling in your hands or feet;
• feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion; or
• signs of a blood clot – sudden numbness or weakness, problems with vision or speech, swelling or redness in an arm or leg.

Common Aromasin side effects may include:

• hot flashes;
• headache, feeling tired;
• joint pain;
• nausea;
• increased appetite;
• sleep problems (insomnia); or
• increased sweating.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA .

What other drugs will affect Aromasin?

When you start or stop taking Aromasin, your doctor may need to adjust the doses of any other medicines you take on a regular basis.

Many drugs may interact with exemestane, and some drugs should not be used at the same time. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. 

What is Arimidex?

Arimidex lowers estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, which may slow the growth of certain types of breast tumors that need estrogen to grow in the body.

Arimidex is used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Arimidex is often given to women whose cancer has progressed even after taking tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox).

Warnings

Arimidex may decrease blood flow to your heart, especially if you have ever had coronary artery disease (clogged arteries). Seek medical attention if you have new or worsening chest pain, or if you feel short of breath.

Do not use anastrozole if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

Arimidex may not work as well if you take it together with estrogen medication (such as hormone replacement therapy, estrogen creams, or birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings).

Arimidex may increase your risk of a stroke or blood clot. Call your doctor at once if you have sudden numbness or weakness, (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, or problems with vision or balance.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Arimidex if you are allergic to anastrozole, or if you have not yet completed menopause.

Arimidex is not approved for use in men or children.

You should not take anastrozole if you also take tamoxifen.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• heart problems;
• coronary artery disease (clogged artery disease);
• high cholesterol; or
• osteoporosis or low bone mineral density.

Hormonal cancer treatment can weaken your bones. You may be more likely to have a broken bone while using Arimidex. Talk with your doctor about ways to keep your bones healthy.

Although it is not likely that a postmenopausal woman would be pregnant, anastrozole may harm an unborn baby. You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this treatment. Use effective birth control if you are not past menopause. Keep using birth control for at least 3 weeks after your last dose of Arimidex. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant.

Do not breastfeed while using this medicine, and for at least 2 weeks after your last dose.

How should I take Arimidex?

Take Arimidex exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.

Arimidex is usually taken once per day. Follow your doctor’s dosing instructions very carefully.

You may take Arimidex with or without food.

You may need to keep taking this medication for up to 5 years. Follow your doctor’s instructions.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Breast Cancer:

Initial dose: 1 mg orally taken once a day
Duration of therapy: Until tumor progression (treatment of advanced breast cancer); unknown (adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer)

Uses:
-Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer;
-First-line treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer;
-Second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following tamoxifen therapy.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

What to avoid

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Arimidex side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Arimidex (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Anastrozole may decrease blood flow to your heart, especially if you have ever had coronary artery disease (clogged arteries). Seek medical attention if you have new or worsening chest pain, or if you feel short of breath.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;
• numbness, prickly feeling, pain, or weakness in your hands or wrists;
• symptoms of bone fracture – bruising, swelling, tenderness, pain that worsens with movement;
• liver problems – right-sided upper stomach pain, yellowing of your skin or eyes, and not feeling well; or
• signs of a stroke – sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance.

Common Arimidex side effects may include:

• numbness, tingling, or tickling feeling in your skin;
• hot flashes;
• weakness;
• joint pain or stiffness;
• bone pain, risk of fracture;
• swelling in your arms, legs, or feet;
• sore throat, cough, shortness of breath;
• headache, back pain;
• depression, sleep problems (insomnia);
• high blood pressure;
• nausea, vomiting; or
• rash.