An assessment of current clinical attitudes toward letrozole use in reproductive endocrinology practices

Objective: To assess the clinical use and practice attitudes among Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) members regarding the use of letrozole for ovulation induction and infertility treatment. Design: The SART clinic physicians were mailed a cover letter and consent form, a two-page survey, and return envelope. The surveys were returned and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s): None. Intervention(s): A 13-question survey. Main Outcome Measure(s): Reproductive endocrinology and infertility physicians use patterns and attitudes regarding letrozole. Result(s): A total of 77.9% of physician prescribe letrozole. Of those who do not, 32.4% cited concern about the US Food and Drug Administration warning, 35.1% cited satisfaction with current medications, 25.7% cited both reasons, and 6.8% cited no experience with letrozole. Physicians (11.5%) were unaware of the US Food and Drug Administration warning. Physicians (99.7%) were aware that ovulation induction is an off-label use of letrozole. The most common use was for ovulation induction in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Physicians (14.9%) prescribe letrozole as first-line ovulation therapy prior to clomid, 47.9% use for clomid failures, and 25.7% reported use in both situations. Conclusion(s): Most physicians surveyed use letrozole for ovulation induction despite the current US Food and Drug Administration warning. Even when accounting for nonrespondents, more than 25% of physicians indicated success with letrozole use. Questions regarding doses and clinical concerns about letrozole revealed no standardized manner of letrozole administration despite wide interest, therefore additional research is warranted. (Fertil Steril (R) 2013;100:1740-4. (C)2013 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)