alex revision
April 10th, 2010, 09:49 AM
Breast cancer drug may harm newborn
Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:30:23 GMT
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=122928§ionid=3510210
While the use of the common breast cancer drug Femara is associated with increased risks to the baby, three in every 10 women take the drug to overcome infertility problems.
Femara, an aromatase inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, can treat post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancers through blocking the production of estrogen.
Also known as letrozole, Femara is assigned a pregnancy-risk category D by the FDA as its use was reported to increase the risk of birth defects in the newborn by threefold.
Despite these facts, the drug is often prescribed "off-label" to treat infertility in women with ovulation problems. No large studies, however, have supported its safety and effectiveness in treating this population.
According to a study presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy meeting in San Diego, 29.3 percent of health plan members use the drug to treat infertility.
The study found the drug is also prescribed in more than 95 percent of women aged more than 50 without any FDA-approved diagnosis.
Scientists, therefore, warned physicians against using the drug to treat infertility, stressing that the use of the medication should be confined to its FDA-approved indications.
"Restricting reimbursement of letrozole to FDA-approved indications has the potential to not only reduce costs but also to improve the quality of care, since this drug is associated with important safety issues in pregnant women," said lead researcher Pat Gleason.
Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:30:23 GMT
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=122928§ionid=3510210
While the use of the common breast cancer drug Femara is associated with increased risks to the baby, three in every 10 women take the drug to overcome infertility problems.
Femara, an aromatase inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, can treat post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancers through blocking the production of estrogen.
Also known as letrozole, Femara is assigned a pregnancy-risk category D by the FDA as its use was reported to increase the risk of birth defects in the newborn by threefold.
Despite these facts, the drug is often prescribed "off-label" to treat infertility in women with ovulation problems. No large studies, however, have supported its safety and effectiveness in treating this population.
According to a study presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy meeting in San Diego, 29.3 percent of health plan members use the drug to treat infertility.
The study found the drug is also prescribed in more than 95 percent of women aged more than 50 without any FDA-approved diagnosis.
Scientists, therefore, warned physicians against using the drug to treat infertility, stressing that the use of the medication should be confined to its FDA-approved indications.
"Restricting reimbursement of letrozole to FDA-approved indications has the potential to not only reduce costs but also to improve the quality of care, since this drug is associated with important safety issues in pregnant women," said lead researcher Pat Gleason.