Advice
Following a full submission
letrozole (Femara) is accepted for restricted use within NHS Scotland for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive invasive early breast cancer. Letrozole has shown benefit over standard anti-oestrogen therapy in terms of disease-free survival, although a pre-planned sub-group analysis showed a statistically significant beneficial effect in node-positive patients but not node-negative patients. It offers an alternative to existing treatment and has a different range of adverse effects.
Another aromatase inhibitor is available for the same indication at a lower cost.
Treatment with letrozole should be initiated by a breast cancer specialist.
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Medicine details
- Medicine name:
- letrozole (Femara)
- SMC ID:
- 251/06
- Indication:
- Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive invasive early breast cancer
- Pharmaceutical company
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd
- BNF chapter
- Malignant disease and immunosuppression
- Submission type
- Full
- Status
- Restricted
- Date advice published
- 08 May 2006