Fareston is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), which is used in the treatment of Breast Cancer in post-menopausal women. It works by exertion of estrogen antagonistic effects in specific tissues such as breast tissue. This FDA-approved drug is derived from triphenylethelyne and is presently under analysis for its usefulness in treating prostate cancer as well.

Fareston is a nonsteroidal antiestrogen and include lactose, povidone, starch, sodium strach glycolate, colloidal silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate as inactive ingredients.

It is available in the form of tablets only for oral administration. Each Fareston tablet contains 88.5 mg of toremifene citrate that is equivalent to 60 mg of toremifene.

Action Mechanism

Toremifene is a derivative of nonsteroidal triphenylethylene and binds to estrogen receptors. It has the ability to exert anti-estrogenic, estrogenic, or both of these activities. The exertion depends upon treatment duration, gender, selected endpoint, target organ, or animal species.

In the general parlance, the derivatives of nonsteroidal triphenylethylene are found to be estrogenic in mice, predominantly anti-estrogenic in humans and rats. Toremifine’ anti-tumor effect in cancer of the breast is considered to be mainly because of its unique ability with estrogen to bind cancer sites and blockage of growth-stimulating estrogen effects in the tumor.

Contraindications

Fareston is considered to be contraindicated in patients with a known level of hypersensitivity to the drug.

Warnings

Tumor flare and hypercalcemia have been reported in patients with bone metastases during the initial weeks of Fareston treatment, like many other anti-estrogens. Though not medically proven, it has been said that some breast cancer patients who undergone Fareston treatment developed endometrial cancer. Dosage of this drug is not at all recommended for a pregnant woman.

Precautions

Thromboembolic patients should not be treated with dosages of Fareston. Patients with bone metastases should be kept under closed medical attention closely for hypercalcemia during early treatment weeks. In addition to that, patients suffering from preexisting endometrial hyperplasia are not advised doses of this drug.

Adverse Reactions

Some of the adverse reactions after usage of Fareston include cardiac failure, myocardial, anorexia, arthritis, depression, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, pulmonary embolism, and thrombophlebitis.

Over-dosage

High dosages when administered to rats led to lethality leading to interference with adrenal enlargement and digestion.

Dosage and Administration

The recommended dosage of Fareston is 60 mg in oral form, once a day.