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Letrozole drug is known to treat breast cancer from early invasive stage to advanced and metastatic stage. The use of Letrozole in the treatment must be prescribed by a specialist doctor.1. What are the effects of Letrozole?
Letrozole belongs to the group of anti-cancer drugs, aromatase inhibitors and affects the immune system, with the main ingredient being Letrozole. Letrozole has inhibitory effects on estrogen biosynthesis and antitumor.
Letrozole is prepared in the form of 2.5mg film-coated tablets and is indicated for use in the following cases:
Treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women, but previously met with failure to treat treatment with oestrogens or tamoxifen. Treatment of early invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have been previously treated with tamoxifen. Preoperative treatment to preserve the nipple in women with breast cancer who are postmenopausal and hormone receptor positive.
2. How to use and dose Letrozole
Letrozole is taken orally, should be taken before or after eating so that food does not affect the absorption of the drug. During the course of taking the drug, it is necessary to supplement calcium and vitamin D daily to prevent osteoporosis.
The recommended dose of Letrozole is 2.5mg / time / day. If the patient does not respond to the drug or the disease becomes worse, the drug should be stopped.
Continue treatment with Letrozole in patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer until tumor progression is evident. The treatment can last for 5 years or tumor recurrence in patients using drugs for long-term supportive and supportive treatment.
Letrozole is used for 4 - 8 months to reduce tumor size as a neo-adjuvant measure. However, when drug response is poor, surgery or other therapeutic measures should be instituted instead.
In some other groups, elderly patients do not require dose adjustment. No dose adjustment of Letrozole is required in patients with mild and moderate hepatic impairment, but a 50% dose reduction in patients with severe hepatic impairment or cirrhosis is not required. For patients with renal impairment with Clcr clearance above 10ml/min, no dose adjustment is required.
In case of overdose of Letrozole, the patient should receive symptomatic treatment, monitor vital signs and provide supportive care. If an overdose is detected early, vomiting can be initiated.
3. Letrozole side effects
Letrozole can cause some unwanted side effects with the frequency of occurrence as follows:
Common: Hypertension, chest pain, edema, hot flashes, peripheral embolism. Dizziness, headache, insomnia, fatigue, depression. Increase calcium and blood fat. Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, weight gain or loss. Increased transaminase, blood bilirubin above normal level, mainly in patients with liver metastatic malignant tumor. Osteoporosis, hand and foot pain, back pain, bone and joint pain, muscle weakness, arthritis. Letrozole often causes cough, shortness of breath, and pleural effusion. Vaginal dryness, vaginal bleeding, urinary tract infection. Decrease in lymphocytes and platelets. Redness, itching, hair loss, sweating, especially at night. Uncommon: Letrozole is less likely to cause insomnia, somnolence, memory impairment, sensory disturbances, dystonia, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome. Leukopenia, anxiety, irritability, tumor pain. Heart ischemia, cerebrovascular accident, thrombophlebitis, tachycardia. Blurred vision, eye irritation, cataracts. Stomatitis, dry mouth. Frequency not determined: Anaphylaxis, erythema multiforme, angioedema, toxic epidermal necrolysis, hepatitis. If you see any strange symptoms after taking Letrozole, you should immediately report it to your doctor or go to a medical facility soon to be checked.
4. Some notes when using Letrozole
Do not use Letrozole in people with hypersensitivity to the ingredients of the drug, women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, women who are breastfeeding, women who have not yet reached menopause. The storage, transportation, and destruction of Letrozole should be handled with caution. Patients with hepatic impairment should use Letrozole with caution and dose adjustment. Women who have not yet reached menopause need to use Letrozole with caution and before treatment should be tested for estradiol, FSH, and LH levels. Letrozole has not been used in children, because safety and effectiveness have not been established. Pregnant women should only use Letrozole in cases of serious need when the condition is dangerous and there is no other alternative medicine. Breastfeeding women who want to take the drug must stop breastfeeding. Limit the activity of driving or operating, operating machinery while taking Letrozole because the drug can cause fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness. Letrozole may interact with the following drugs: decreased drug levels when used concomitantly with Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator; reduce the pharmacological effect of the drug when used together with estrogens; Drug metabolism changes if co-administered with isoenzymes 3A4 and 2A6, CYP2A6 and CYP2C19. In order to limit the effects of drug interactions, before being treated with Letrozole, patients need to tell their doctor about their medical condition and the drugs they are using or treated before. The use of Letrozole is to inhibit oestrogen biosynthesis and antitumor. With this use, the drug is mainly used in the treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
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