Read article Fulvestrant (Faslodex)
This page tells you about the hormone therapy fulvestrant and its possible side effects. There is information about
Fulvestrant (pronounced full-vest-rant) is a type of hormone treatment. It is also called Faslodex. It is a treatment for post menopausal women with advanced breast cancer when other hormone treatments have stopped working.
Many breast cancers are stimulated to grow by the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. These breast cancers are called hormone sensitive or hormone receptor positive. Drugs that block the effects of these hormones can slow or stop the growth of the breast cancer cells. Fulvestrant stops oestrogen getting to the cancer cells by blocking oestrogen receptors and reducing the number of receptors the cancer cell has.
You have fulvestrant as two injections – one into each buttock. You can have it at your GP surgery. Your doctor or practice nurse gives you the injections. They each take 1 to 2 minutes. You have the injections two weekly for the first 3 doses and then monthly.
We've listed the side effects associated with fulvestrant below. You can use the links to find out more about each effect. Where there is no link, please use the search box at the top of the page. Or look at the cancer drug side effects section.
More than 10 in every 100 women have one or more of these.
- Feeling or being sick happens in about 1 in 2 women (50%) – it is usually mild and well controlled by anti sickness medicines
- Tiredness or fatigue and feeling weak during treatment and for some time afterwards
- Soreness and swelling around the injection site for a day or 2 after the injection
- Changes in the liver that don’t usually cause symptoms – you will have regular blood tests to check how well your liver is working
- Menopausal symptoms including hot flushes and sweats in more than 1 out of 4 women (25%), and lowered interest in sex (reduced libido)
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Joint and bone pain
Between 1 and 10 in every 100 women have one or more of these.
- Headaches
- A rash
- Blood clots, your risk of developing a blood clot is higher when you are having fulvestrant – if you develop a clot you will have treatment to thin your blood
- Urine infections
- A cough and breathlessness
- Constipation
Fewer than 1 in 100 women have these.
- Vaginal bleeding, a white discharge, or rarely vaginal infection
- Loss of bone density caused by a lack of oestrogen over a long period of time – the bones are weaker and more likely to break. You may have a DEXA scan to check your bone density before you start treatment or shortly afterwards.
The side effects above may be mild or more severe. A side effect may get better or worse through your course of treatment, or more side effects may develop as the course goes on. This depends on
- How many times you've had the drug before
- Your general health
- The amount of the drug you have (the dose)
- Other drugs you are having
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse about all your side effects so that they can help you manage them. You should have a contact number for your chemotherapy nurse, clinic or ward nurse. You can ring if you have any questions or problems. They can give you advice or reassure you. If in doubt, call them.
Tell your doctor about any other medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbal supplements and other over the counter remedies – some drugs can react together.
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Mrs Renée Dangoor
CancerHelp UK is generously supported by Dr N E Dangoor CBE to honour the life of Mrs Renée Dangoor
