Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer
Examples
|
| anastrozole | Arimidex |
| exemestane | Aromasin |
| letrozole | Femara |
Aromatase inhibitors are available as tablets. Follow your
doctor's orders or the directions on the label.
How It Works
Aromatase inhibitors interfere with how
much
estrogen the body's tissues can make. This limits the
amount of estrogen available in the body.
An aromatase inhibitor
cannot lower estrogen levels made by the ovaries. That is why an aromatase
inhibitor only works after
menopause, when a woman's ovaries have stopped making
estrogen and other hormones.1
Why It Is Used
Aromatase inhibitors are used to treat
early estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)breast cancer. They are also used to treat metastatic
or recurrent ER+ breast cancer. An aromatase inhibitor can be used alone or
after tamoxifen treatment.
Some doctors may use aromatase
inhibitor "off-label" to treat infertility and
endometriosis. This means that the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has not approved this use.
How Well It Works
Aromatase inhibitors make it less likely that breast cancer will come back. These medicines work well for postmenopausal women who have had ER+ breast cancer. Studies that compare survival rates for aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen show that women live about the same length of time when taking either of these medicines.2
Aromatase inhibitors
may be given to postmenopausal women who have breast cancer, either at the beginning of
treatment or after they are given tamoxifen.
Side Effects
Side effects of an aromatase
inhibitor may include:
- Hot flashes.
- Muscle or body aches.
- Mild
nausea.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- A general feeling of
illness.
- Weakness and fatigue.
- Bone thinning. Aromatase inhibitors increase the rate of bone
thinning that occurs normally in postmenopausal women.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems.)
References
Citations
- Smith IE, Chua S (2006). ABC of breast diseases. Medical treatment of early breast cancer. I: Adjuvant treatment. BMJ, 332(7532): 34–37.
- National Cancer Institute (2011). Breast Cancer PDQ: Treatment – Health Professional Version. Available online: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/HealthProfessional.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine |
|---|
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Douglas A. Stewart, MD - Medical Oncology |
|---|
| Last Revised | August 11, 2011 |
|---|
Last Revised:
August 11, 2011
Smith IE, Chua S (2006). ABC of breast diseases. Medical treatment of early breast cancer. I: Adjuvant treatment. BMJ, 332(7532): 34–37.
National Cancer Institute (2011). Breast Cancer PDQ: Treatment – Health Professional Version. Available online: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/HealthProfessional.
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