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A 36-year-old member asked:

Are there people who should not take femara (letrozole) for breast cancer?

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Barry Rosen
General Surgery 36 years experience
Yes: Femara (letrozole) is only effective for hormone-sensitive (estrogen receptor +) breast ca patients. Drugs like femara, called aromatase inhibitors, act by blocking the conversion of aromatase to estrogen in the body; it has no effect on estrogen production by the ovaries. Therefore, these drugs are not effective in pre-menopausal women.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. William A Biermann
Medical Oncology 48 years experience
Premenopausal women: This is an aromatase inhibitor. This class of drugs is not effective for premenopausal women. It is used in the adjuvant setting and occasionally for metastasis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 46-year-old member asked:

How effective is letrozole (Femara) for treating breast cancer?

1 doctor answer3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Richard Orr
Surgical Oncology 46 years experience
Variable: Depends on 1) whether the tumor is estrogen receptor positive, 2) stage of the cancer. If metastatic, it works better for bone and soft tissue metastases and not very well for liver and lung metastasizes. Often used as an adjuvant treatment after surgery and often with radiotherapy
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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What herbal medicine can be taken in place of femara (letrozole) for cancer treatment?
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Last updated Sep 25, 2020

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