Femara (letrozole tablets)

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Femara is only indicated in postmenopausal women. You should not take Femara if you are premenopausal. Your doctor should discuss the need for adequate birth control if you have the potential to become pregnant, if you are not sure of your postmenopausal status, or if you recently became postmenopausal. Learn more about Important Safety Information for Femara.

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About Breast Cancer
Diet
Diet

Diet

Healthy eating is important for everyone, but for women who have had breast cancer it's especially important. This is because clinical evidence suggests that reducing the amount of dietary fat may benefit women who have had breast cancer. According to the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study, reducing the amount of dietary fat was associated with weight loss, which may have reduced the risk of breast cancer returning.

Other studies further support this idea with evidence that suggests that high levels of hormones related to increased weight and to breast cancer may increase the risk of breast cancer returning.

In addition to studies like these about the relationship between healthy weight and risk of breast cancer returning, a nutritious, well-balanced diet may help keep your body strong and nourished and support your chances of staying healthy after breast cancer. Always consult your healthcare professional before changing your diet. To start, consider eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat.

Following are some more general guidelines:

  • Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
  • Eat a diet rich in fiber.
  • Only eat soy foods in moderation.
  • Consume only moderate amounts of alcohol.
  • Cut down on bad fats (saturated and trans fats) and eat more good fats (polyunsaturated and monosaturated) such as olive oil.
  • Ask your doctor about taking a daily multivitamin.


Learn more about Femara patient programs Learn more about Femara patient programs

*The Femara Cares Program™ Prescription Discount Card allows you to pay only $10 for your Femara prescriptions, if you are eligible. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation will pay the rest, up to a maximum of $800 of your out-of-pocket costs in any 12-month period, toward your Femara prescriptions. This card is subject to change or termination at any time.

Not all patients will receive a total of $800 per year off their prescriptions. Total value of card determined by applicable patient co-pay or out-of-pocket cost.

The Femara Cares Program™ Prescription Discount Card is not valid for prescriptions for which payment may be made in whole or in part under federal or state healthcare programs, including but not limited to, Medicare or Medicaid, or for residents in MA. Limitations apply.

 

Indication
Femara® (letrozole) 2.5 mg tablets are approved for the adjuvant (following surgery) treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early stage breast cancer.

Important Safety Information

Femara is only indicated in postmenopausal women. You should not take Femara if you are premenopausal. Your doctor should discuss the need for adequate birth control if you have the potential to become pregnant, if you are not sure of your postmenopausal status, or if you recently became postmenopausal. You should not take Femara if you are pregnant as it may cause harm to an unborn child. You should also discuss with your doctor what to do if you are nursing a child.

The use of Femara may cause decreases in the density of your bones, increases in bone fractures and osteoporosis. Monitoring of the density of your bones may be required.

Some patients taking Femara had an increase in cholesterol. Your doctor may require the monitoring of cholesterol in your blood.

Some women reported fatigue, dizziness and drowsiness with Femara. Until you know how it affects you, use caution before driving or operating machinery.

Some women had moderate, temporary decreases in white blood cell counts. The medical significance of this is not known.

The most serious side effects seen with Femara are bone effects (fractures, decreased bone density and osteoporosis) and increases in cholesterol. Other common side effects seen with Femara include joint pain, nausea, weight decrease, vaginal irritiation, and pain in the extremitites. Other important less commonly reported side effects include blood clots, other cancers, stroke, heart attack and endometrial cancer.

Femara is a once-daily, convenient prescription tablet. Your doctor may tell you to take Femara every other day if you have severe liver disease. Always take your medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

For full prescribing information, please click here.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call
1-800-FDA-1088.