Megestrol Uses Megestrol is used in the treatment of breast cancer and endometrial cancer. It specifically targets hormone-dependent forms of these cancers. Additionally, it may be used to address low appetite and weight loss in patients with advanced cancer or HIV.
How Megestrol works Megestrol is a progestin, a type of female hormone. It is used in patients with breast cancer and endometrial cancer by influencing female hormones that are involved in cancer growth. Additionally, it promotes weight gain by increasing appetite.
Common side effects of Megestrol include weight gain, constipation, edema (swelling), breathlessness, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), weakness, impotence, chest pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, rash, pain, pneumonia, fever, anemia (low red blood cell count), abdominal pain, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), dryness of the mouth, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), decreased white blood cell count (lymphocytes), increased lactate levels in the blood, paresthesia (tingling or pricking sensation), confusion, convulsions, hair loss, lazy eye, breast enlargement in males, and urinary tract infection.