How Femara Can Help You

Femara is an oral medication that is used in the treatment of hormonally responsive breast cancer, usually after an initial surgery has been completed. This medication is prescribed to patients to prevent aromatase from producing estrogen. Many people confuse Femara with tamoxifen, but it is different in that tamoxifen can be used to treat women who are pre and post menopausal, while Femara is usually withheld for women who are post menopausal women who have estrogen production in adipose tissue only.

When it hit the market, The United States Food and Drug Administration approved Femara for the treatment of metastatic or local breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive, although it has also been approved for use in women who have an unknown hormone receptor status if they are postmenopausal. Femara has also been used off label for doctors for about 10 years to stimulate the ovaries in women who are having trouble getting pregnant. It is preferable for this use because it does not have as many side effects as other medications that are approved for this purpose.

Femara is associatedwith some unwanted side effects. These side effects include the signs and symptoms of hypoesterogenism, osteoporosis, and more. Usually the medication is taken for the shortest period of time possible to help reduce the incidence of these side effects, although in the treatment of cancer is must be taken continuously for some time. In these instances, doctors usually prescribed Femara with other medications to help offset osteoporosis. Patients and doctors should work together to determine if Femara is the best course of action for each particular situation.