New medication for breast cancer treatment to benefit large group

Wider availability of the breast cancer treatment Femara® (letrozole) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), from December 1, will potentially benefit the largest group of Australian women with breast cancer.

Each year over 6,500 Australian post-menopausal women will be diagnosed with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer. Approximately one in six women will have their breast cancer return in the first five years after initial diagnosis.

Women whose breast cancer comes back in another part of the body are at greater risk of dying from their disease. Femara significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer coming back in another part of the body – by around one-third more than the previous standard treatment of tamoxifen.”

Until now Femara has been available on the PBS for treatment of hormone-dependent advanced breast cancer in post-menopausal women. The expanded PBS listing means Femara will also be available to post-menopausal women with early stage breast cancer.