Frequently asked questions about FASLODEX
What therapies are available for metastatic breast cancer?
What is FASLODEX?
What is an estrogen receptor antagonist?
Do I still produce estrogen if I am postmenopausal?
How does FASLODEX work?
Why should I be treated with FASLODEX?
How has FASLODEX been studied and tested?
Should FASLODEX be used by anyone with breast cancer?
Is there anyone who shouldn't take FASLODEX?
How is FASLODEX given?
Who will give the FASLODEX injection?
Does the injection hurt?
Will I need any special tests while on FASLODEX?
Does FASLODEX have any side effects?
Is treatment with FASLODEX difficult to tolerate?
Will I gain weight while on FASLODEX?
Can I take FASLODEX with my other medications?
Will FASLODEX be covered by insurance?
Q: What therapies are available for metastatic breast cancer?
A:
Hormonal treatment
can be used to reduce the growth, spread, and recurrence of breast cancer. If the cancer is found to be of the type that may be sensitive to estrogen, hormonal treatment may be able to keep estrogen from helping the cancer cells to grow and divide. The presence of estrogen receptors (message-carrying proteins that may stimulate tumor growth) in the cancerous tumor is the best way to predict a woman’s response to hormonal treatment.
The hormonal treatment you and your doctor decide is right for you will depend on a number of factors, like whether you are pre-menopausal or postmenopausal. There are hormonal treatment options available for pre-menopausal women that will not be discussed here, please talk to your doctor about these options. There are several hormonal treatment options available for postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer that can be tailored to the lifestyle a woman wants to lead. Hormonal treatments are currently available in pill form or as a monthly intramuscular injection into the buttock. Ask your physician about these therapies.
FASLODEX is a hormonal treatment for hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy, such as tamoxifen. Click here to see how FASLODEX works.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that target and destroy rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells. It can be used in metastatic breast cancer and in locally advanced breast cancer to shrink cancerous tumors to a more manageable size for surgery. Chemotherapy is sometimes used if it is believed the breast cancer will not adequately respond to hormonal or other therapy.
Several types of chemotherapy drugs are available and may be administered by mouth or directly into the vein (intravenously). Chemotherapy drugs can be used in combinations. The best results are usually obtained when several drugs are used together, which is known as combination chemotherapy.
If you have metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following treatment with chemotherapy, learn more about another chemotherapy treatment option that may be right for you.
Biologically targeted therapy is a term that covers a range of new options that are to be added to the family of cancer treatments. These therapies target specific features of cancer cells to fight cancer. Since these therapies are specific, they are intended to have less effect on normal cells, which may reduce the chance of side effects like those caused by current cancer treatments. Types of treatment include monoclonal antibodies, which bind to proteins on the cancer cell surface to slow down cancer cell growth; angiogenesis inhibitors, which are intended to prevent the growth of new blood vessels and so cut off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cancer cells; and signal transduction inhibitors, which block the signals inside the cancer cell that promote the cells to divide and in turn cause the cancer to grow.
Most of these approaches are still experimental and would be offered as part of a clinical trial.
Radiation therapy uses penetrating beams of high-energy waves or streams of particles to kill and hinder the growth of cancer cells. In metastatic disease, radiation is most commonly used to treat symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the bone.
Surgery both permits diagnostic tissue removal and may help with control of cancer. In some cases, a physician may recommend surgery to remove tissue from the breast or lymph node.
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Q: What is FASLODEX?
A: FASLODEX is a
hormonal treatment
for
hormone receptor-positive
metastatic breast cancer in
postmenopausal
patients who have disease progression following treatment with another hormonal treatment like tamoxifen. FASLODEX is described as an estrogen receptor antagonist.
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Q: What is an estrogen receptor antagonist?
A: An estrogen receptor antagonist, a type of
antiestrogen,
is a medication that blocks the effects of estrogen. It is used to treat hormone receptor-positive
metastatic breast cancer,
a certain type of breast cancer that is sensitive to
hormones.
In this kind of cancer, the cancer cells need estrogen to live and grow.
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Q: Do I still produce estrogen if I am postmenopausal?
A: Yes. Although postmenopausal women no longer produce estrogen in the ovaries, low levels of estrogen are still produced by other organs, such as the
adrenal glands.
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Q: How does FASLODEX work?
A: FASLODEX works by finding estrogen receptors in the cells and binding to them. In doing so, it blocks estrogen from binding to them. The binding of FASLODEX also causes the receptors to change shape and become less functional. In clinical studies of postmenopausal women with breast cancer, treatment with FASLODEX showed a decrease (downregulation) in the amount of estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells.
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Q: Why should I be treated with FASLODEX?
A: FASLODEX is a hormonal treatment that works by keeping estrogen from binding to estrogen receptors and also by reducing the number of estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells. It may help when other treatments have stopped working. In
clinical trials,
FASLODEX was found to be effective when tamoxifen no longer worked. Also, FASLODEX is given as a monthly injection, so you don't have to remember to take a pill each day.
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Q: How has FASLODEX been studied and tested?
A: Two clinical trials involving a total of 851 postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer were conducted worldwide to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of FASLODEX. Patients in these studies had already experienced disease progression after receiving previous therapy with an antiestrogen, which was usually tamoxifen.
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Q: Should FASLODEX be used by anyone with breast cancer?
A: No. FASLODEX has been studied only in postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer whose cancer had returned after taking tamoxifen. FASLODEX is recommended for patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Your doctor will know if FASLODEX is right for you.
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Q: Is there anyone who shouldn't take FASLODEX?
A: FASLODEX should be taken only by postmenopausal women. FASLODEX may cause fetal harm when given to a pregnant woman. Women of childbearing potential should be advised not to become pregnant while receiving FASLODEX. Because FASLODEX is administered intramuscularly, it should not be used in patients with certain blood disorders or in patients receiving anticoagulants (sometimes called blood thinners, for example, Coumadin® [warfarin sodium]*).
Coumadin is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
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Q: How is FASLODEX given?
A: FASLODEX is given once a month as an
intramuscular injection
into the buttock. During your monthly visit, the 250-mg dose can be given as either one injection or two injections. With a monthly injection, you won't have to worry about missing a daily pill.
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Q: Who will give the FASLODEX injection?
A: FASLODEX will most likely be given to you by a nurse in the doctor's office or clinic. The injection doesn't take long. Your doctor and nurse will decide whether your dose of FASLODEX will be given in one injection or two injections during your monthly visit.
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Q: Does the injection hurt?
A: Injection site pain and reactions have been reported, but they were usually mild in nature. As with any injection, you may briefly feel mild discomfort around the injection site.
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Q: Will I need any special tests while on FASLODEX?
A: No. Like most other hormonal treatments, FASLODEX does not require any specific laboratory testing. Of course, your doctor will continue to check you at regular intervals and decide what is appropriate for you.
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Q: Does FASLODEX have any side effects?
A: In clinical studies, the most commonly reported side effects seen with FASLODEX were nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, back pain, hot flashes, and sore throat. Injection site pain and reactions have been reported; however, they were usually mild in nature. If you are concerned about any reactions you may be experiencing, you should contact your doctor immediately.
FASLODEX is a hormonal treatment, not a
cytotoxic chemotherapy.
In clinical trials, hair loss occurred in 1.2% of patients treated with FASLODEX. Following treatment, if you are concerned about any reaction you may be experiencing, you should contact your doctor's office right away.
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Q: Is treatment with FASLODEX difficult to tolerate?
A: In clinical trials, 2.8% of patients receiving FASLODEX withdrew from treatment due to side effects.
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Q: Will I gain weight while on FASLODEX?
A: In clinical trials, 0.9% of patients treated with FASLODEX experienced weight gain.
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Q: Can I take FASLODEX with my other medications?
A: Because FASLODEX is given as an injection into the muscle, it should not be used in patients with certain blood disorders or those receiving anticoagulants (sometimes called blood thinners, such as Coumadin® [warfarin sodium]*). Please be sure to let your doctor know about all the medications (prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal supplements) you currently take. Also, check with your doctor before starting any other medication.
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Q: Will FASLODEX be covered by insurance?
A: Because FASLODEX is an injectable medicine that must be administered by a health care professional, coverage is determined by your medical plan (the insurance that covers medical procedures and office visits), and not your prescription plan. If you cannot confirm coverage through your health plan or doctor's office, or if you have no coverage, please call the AstraZeneca Cancer Support Network at 1-866-99-AZCSN (1-866-992-9276). Be sure to have any insurance information available when you call.
If you have any concerns about treatment with FASLODEX, please discuss them with your doctor or nurse.
These frequently asked questions are provided as a service by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, the maker of FASLODEX. They are not a substitute for a full discussion with your doctor about your condition and its treatment.
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* Coumadin is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.