Lezra is indicated for the treatment and prevention of recurrent breast cancer in postmenopausal women. So, how is Lezra used? Let's explore the essential information about Lezra in the article below.
1. What is Lezra?
Lezra contains 2.5mg of the active ingredient Letrozole, and other sufficient excipients provided by the manufacturer. The medication is formulated as film-coated tablets, packaged in boxes of 3 blisters, with 10 tablets per blister.
2. What does Lezra do?
Lezra is indicated for treatment in the following cases:
- Treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have experienced treatment failure with Tamoxifen or other anti-estrogen medications.
- Treatment of early-stage breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have previously been treated with Tamoxifen.
- Pre-operative care for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer for breast-conserving surgery.
On the other hand, Lezra is contraindicated in patients with the following conditions:
- Allergy to the active ingredient Letrozole or other excipients in the medication's composition.
- Premenopausal women, breastfeeding women, and during pregnancy.
- Patients with severe liver failure.
- Do not use this medication before surgery if the receptor status is negative or unknown.
3. Dosage and Administration of Lezra
Lezra is formulated as film-coated tablets for oral use. The medication should be taken with a full glass of water, and patients can take it on an empty or full stomach.
Lezra is for adult use only. Below are the recommended dosages for adults and the elderly:
- Use at a dose of 2.5mg once daily.
- In adjuvant therapy, Lezra should be used continuously for 5 years or until tumor recurrence, whichever comes first.
- After a standard Tamoxifen regimen, treatment with Lezra should continue for 3 years or until tumor recurrence, whichever comes first.
- As there is insufficient data on the long-term use of Lezra, there is no optimal duration of use.
- In patients with metastatic breast cancer, Lezra should be used continuously until tumor progression becomes evident.
- Pre-operative care: Regularly monitor disease progression to consider an appropriate treatment dose.
- For the elderly and patients with mild or moderate liver impairment: Use the same dose as adults; no dose adjustment is required.
- For patients with renal impairment with creatinine clearance >10ml/minute, no daily dose adjustment is required.
Note: This dosage is only the manufacturer's recommended dosage. Depending on each patient's medical condition, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate dosage. Therefore, patients need to follow the doctor's instructions and should not change the dosage or give the medicine to others when they have similar symptoms.
4. Side Effects of Lezra
Doctors always consider the benefits that Lezra brings to patients and the potential risks of side effects to prescribe appropriate medication. Patients must follow the doctor's instructions to minimize side effects. Lezra is generally well tolerated; side effects are usually mild or moderate, mostly due to estrogen deficiency.
Some side effects that may occur during medication use include:
- Common:
Joint pain, hot flashes, loss of appetite, increased appetite, increased serum cholesterol, neurasthenia, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, digestive disorders, constipation, diarrhea, hair loss, increased sweating, red rash, muscle pain, bone pain, osteoporosis, bone fractures, fatigue, peripheral edema, weight gain. - Less Common:
Urinary tract infections, breast tumor pain, edema, fatigue, insomnia, memory impairment, affective disorder, taste disturbances, cerebrovascular accidents, heart palpitations, rapid heartbeat, thrombophlebitis, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, shortness of breath, cough, abdominal pain, glossitis, dry mouth, dry skin, hives, arthritis, weight loss, vaginal bleeding. - Rare:
Pulmonary embolism, thrombosis, cerebral ischemia
If patients experience any of the above effects or any unusual side effects suspected to be caused by the medication, they should immediately inform their treating doctor for consultation.
5. Lezra Drug Interactions
Inform your doctor about all medications you are currently using, such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements, herbs, etc., to minimize interactions when combining medications during treatment.
Some interactions that may occur when combining Lezra with other drugs are:
- Clinically, Lezra has no significant interactions with Cimetidine, Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Paracetamol, Furosemide, and Omeprazole.
- There is no experience using Lezra in combination with other anticancer drugs.
6. Precautions When Using Lezra
Some precautions for patients using Lezra are as follows:
- Do not use this medication for children, as its efficacy and safety have not been evaluated in clinical studies.
- There is no data on the use of Lezra in men with breast cancer.
- Caution when using Lezra in patients with creatinine clearance below 10ml/minute.
- Lezra has the potential to significantly reduce estrogen levels, which will increase the risk of severe bone mineral density loss in patients. Therefore, before treatment with this medication, women with osteoporosis or at risk of osteoporosis should have their bone density checked.
- Contraception should be used when using Lezra in women who are perimenopausal or recently postmenopausal.
- When using Lezra, patients often feel tired and dizzy, sometimes drowsy, so caution should be exercised when driving or operating machinery.
The above is information about the uses, dosage, and precautions when using Lezra medicine. To ensure health safety and maximize treatment effectiveness, you need to use Lezra medicine according to your doctor's instructions.
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Some notes when patients take Lezra medicine are as follows:
This drug should not be used in pediatric patients, because efficacy and safety have not been evaluated in clinical studies. There are no data on the use of Lezra in male breast cancers. Lezra should be used with caution in patients with creatinine clearance less than 10 ml/min. The drug Lezra has the ability to drastically reduce the amount of estrogen, so there is a risk of a sharp decrease in bone mineral in the patient. Therefore, before treatment with this drug, women with osteoporosis or at risk of osteoporosis should have their bone density checked. Contraception should be used when using Lezra in women who are near menopause or have just gone through menopause. When using Lezra, patients often feel tired and dizzy, sometimes drowsy, so caution should be exercised when driving or operating machinery. Above is information about the uses, dosage and precautions when using Lezra. To ensure safety for your health and maximize the effectiveness of your treatment, you need to take Lezra exactly as directed by your doctor.
Follow Vinmec International General Hospital website to get more health, nutrition and beauty information to protect the health of yourself and your loved ones in your family.
