Letrozole (Femara) Uses

Letrozole is used to treat the following types of breast cancer:

• Adjuvant endocrine therapy (along with surgery and radiation therapy) of hormone receptor positive early breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
• Extended adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer in postmenopausal women after 5 years of taking tamoxifen (adjuvant tamoxifen therapy).
• First line treatment of locally advanced breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
• Treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have disease progression after antiestrogen therapy.

Note: Letrozole does not work on hormone receptor-negative breast cancers.

There may be other uses of letrozole—your doctor or pharmacist can give you further drug information.

Letrozole (Femara) Mechanism of Action

Letrozole is a hormone therapy drug that blocks the enzyme aromatase and decreases estrogen levels in the body. Taking Femara (letrozole) slows or stops the growth of breast cancer cells that need estrogen to grow.

Letrozole (Femara) Doses

Letrozole comes in the form of a 2.5 mg tablet to take by mouth once a day.