Letrozole (Femara, Fempro) Medication – Breast Cancer Treatment

Letrozole is an aromatse inhibitor, a type of hormone therapy drug. It is used as part of the treatment of patients with breast cancer. Letrozole is marketed under brand name Fempro (Femara).

Since the growth of breast cancers depends mostly on the hormone oestrogen, the main function of Letrozole is to stop or inhibit the process of aromatisation. When aromatisation is inhibited, amounts of the hormone oestrogen are also decreased. Aside from breast cancer therapy treatment, fertility doctors have also used Letrozole for ovulation induction. There were studies shown that using the drug increases the risk of birth defects but latest studies show that the Letrozole poses no threat when used in ovulation induction.

Athletes and bodybuilders have also used Letrozole. The ability of the drug to reduce the hormone estrogen and increase testosterone levels makes it very useful for them. It reduces the possibility of bloating due to excessive water retention and it also prevents gynecomastia from developing when taking anabolic steroids.

Letrozole is also useful for children and adolescent with short stature. It can boost the growth hormones thus treating problems that involve growth stunts.

Letrozole is in tablet form and is taken orally. The ideal dosage in taking the drug is one tablet a day. Letrozole is usually prescribed by physicians to patients who have undergone surgery and has completed a five year treatment of tamoxifen. It has also been known that using Letrozole after surgery and tamoxifen treatment reduces the possibility of the breast cancer from coming back.

In some cases, Letrozole is also given to breast cancer patients prior to surgery. This however is only for patients who have localized early breast cancer. The effects of the drug will allow them to undergo lumpectomy instead of mastectomy. This kind of breast cancer treatment is called neo-adjuvant therapy.

First and foremost, the patient should remember that Letrozole, just like any other drug, could possibly interact with any other medications. So before taking in Letrozole, inform your physician of any medication that is currently being taken. This would also include herbal medications, nutritional supplement and vitamins.

The physician should also be informed of the patient’s general health condition. Liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis should be reported. The patient should also let the physician know of any allergies – could be to food, preservatives or dyes.

Letrozole controls the hormone estrogen can, in some people, lead to osteoperosis. That is why the physician should be informed whether the patient is also suffering from osteoperosis.

Nausea and vomiting are two of the side effects of Letrozole. They are however mild and quite rare. These side effects can usually be relieved by milk or food. But if these two side effects persist for a long time, it is important to let the physician know right away. Hot flushes are another side effects of Letrozole. These can be relieved by cutting down on the consumption of coffee, tea, alcohol and cigarettes. If it causes so much discomfort, discuss with the physician of any possible solutions to hot flushes.

Taking in Letrozole may also cause vaginal dryness. This is one of the most common side effects of the drug. Gels or jelly from the physician can help overcome the dryness.

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What is Breast Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. It has taken many lives abruptly and has changed the lifestyle of many, yet the battle with Cancer and its many forms remains ongoing.

Breast cancer is the type of Cancer that is most common in women and the second most common worldwide. Women have been found to have one in eight chances of developing Breast Cancer in their life.

Breast Cancer is found frequently in Western countries. Europe and North America holds the biggest numbers of Breast Cancer patients. The people’s lifestyle in those continents is found to be the known trigger of the disease.

Although it rarely happens, Breast Cancer cases in men were documented as well. In fact, it accounts for about 1% of Cancer deaths in men.

The number of afflicted patients at present have ballooned since the 1970s data. This progress was blamed mostly on the modernist lifestyle adapted by the modern people. Then again, the last few years seen those numbers declined. This is due to the continued efforts of the medical world to find relief and remedies that will topple off the disease. Breast Cancer awareness efforts also helped women become more open to undergo mammography, which opened up the pathway towards early detection and treatment. Still, Breast Cancer remains as one of the most feared health condition in the world. It even surpassed heart disease, which is the most common cause of death every where.

Breast Cancer is characterized by lumps or tumors in the breast cells. If these lumps remain undetected, they may spread to other body parts and cause complications. Doctors use a staging system to classify a patient’s level of affliction. Breast Cancer stages are determined according to its severity. Establishing the extent of the disease allowed the doctors to use appropriate treatments with each case.

The common triggers of Breast Cancer are found as hormonal, environmental, genetic or a combination of any. A number of variables have been identified to affect a person’s chance at contracting Breast Cancer. These include age, sex, alcohol intake, eating habits, tobacco use, and exposure to radiation. However, not one of those variables is traced to cause the Cancer in a particular case.

To be safe, experts advice people to take an ounce of prevention each day to reduce the risk for Breast Cancer. Some of the preventive measures you can take include the following:

  • Proteins found in soybeans and many other plants are useful to protect a person from developing Cancer of the breast. Take lots of similar products to strengthen your armor.
  • Keeping a constant level of Folic Acid or taking Folate supplements may also counteract the main risk factor of this disease which is alcohol. Based on studies, women who consume high levels of alcohol regularly but have taken Folate supplements are not in an increased risk for Breast Cancer.
  • Put your exposure to tobacco and similar ingredients in check. Avoiding second hand smoke has more benefits than just keeping yourself safe from Breast Cancer. It can also protect you from other diseases especially those concerning the lungs.
  • Medical procedures such as Oophorectomy and Mastectomy also decrease a person’s risk to Breast Cancer by over 50%. If you are fit enough to undergo such surgical procedures, you may well do so to resist the possible occurrence of Breast Cancer.
  • Regulating your estrogen levels through hormonal therapies is also part of the preventive act against Breast Cancer.

Early diagnosis of Breast Cancer is an important factor that will spell all the difference in the effectiveness of any medical treatment to be applied. Breast screening in forms of physical and clinical breast exams, x-ray mammography, and MRI are among the effective processes to trace any unsuspecting cancers.

The public has been informed on how they can perform breast exams every month to ensure that they are keeping track of any lump or mass that is just starting to develop right at the comfort of their own homes. For those who want to be 100% sure, they submit themselves for imaging and other scan tests that will easily detect the occurrence of lumps. If this is found, it is time to make consultations with a qualified health professional regarding the implications. Further examinations will be administered by then. This is to validate whether the mass is cancerous or benign.

X-ray Mammography remains the ultimate choice for both doctors and patients as a mode of breast screening. Aside from delivering instant results, it is also found to be accurate. In fact, the reliability of Mammography has been found to reduce Breast Cancer deaths by over 20%. Although this screening process received criticisms over the years, its accessibility in many countries and its accuracy in spotting cancer cells provide people the reasons to continuously trust in it.

MRI or magnetic resonance imaging is ultra sensitive to trace cancers that may not be visible in mammograms. It presents an alternative to prospective Breast Cancer patients who are under different circumstances including a strong family history of Cancer. The only reason that separates people from choosing to undergo an MRI rather than a Mammography is that it can be very costly both financially and psychologically.

Breast Cancer is classified in stages and is treated accordingly. Many available clinical methods of battling Breast Cancer come into patterns that are employed depending on a patient’s specific condition. Different clinical assessments require different treatment rules. Surgery or removal of the tumor and the whole breast if need be is the first line of treatment. This is empowered by hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Breast Cancer is more difficult to deal with once it metastasize or spread through other organs. Breast Cancer patients, especially those with latter stage of affliction, often undergo a host of treatments more to ensure that they will not develop a second Cancer. Doctors are also wary about the occurrence of relapse, which almost always occur at a far worse scenario. That is why the need for close monitoring is very significant.

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