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Femara: The Wonder Drug to Prevent Relapse of Breast Cancer.

by Medindia Content Team on Jan 4 2006 2:13 PM

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the drug Femara (letrozole) as drug for the treatment of patients suffering from breast cancer among post menopausal women.

Various studies have been done before the approval of the drug. The result of these studies was published in the December 29 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.

It said that the Novartis drug Femara was very efficient in controlling the recurrence of breast cancer among post menopausal women.

This drug has to be given in the initial therapy after surgery instead of Tamoxifen. This drug is of great importance to both the patients and the clinicians.

The drug is an aromatase inhibitor and prevents/inhibits the production of estrogen hormone. This hormone is the main culprit in inducing post menopausal breast cancers.

This drug is a boon and very useful to all these women suffering from breast cancers which have spread to the lymph nodes and also for women who are done with their chemotherapy.

The main point to be clearly understood by both the patients and clinicians is that the drug has to be prescribed only to postmenopausal women. The reason being that the drug is only effective in these women. If taken by other women will result in fetal damage.

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The company has already clearly outlined its side effects which are night sweats, weight gain, joint pain and hot flashes.

This drug is here to stay and help in the treatment of post menopausal breast cancers and advanced breast cancers.

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