Brand name: Megace
Chemical name: Megestrol
Class: Progestin hormonal therapy. There are no other progestins used to treat breast cancer.
How it works: Progestins suppress the effects of estrogen on cancer cells.
Uses: Megace may be used to:
- ease symptoms of metastatic breast cancer, including loss of appetite
- treat advanced-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in women not responding to tamoxifen
How it's given: Megace is taken orally as a pill or liquid.
Additional information: Megace is a man-made version of the human hormone progesterone.
Side effects:
- loss of libido
- vaginal bleeding
- insomnia
- gas
- rash
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