Aromatase Inhibitors: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Interactions

Letrozole (Femara) works by decreasing the amount of estrogen produced by the body. Letrozole (Femara) is used treat early breast cancer in women who have experienced menopause and who have had other treatments, such as radiation or surgery to remove the tumor. Aromatase inhibitors are a class of drug used to prevent cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. These medications also are prescribed for premenopausal women in combination with ovarian suppression therapy and for men with breast cancer who are unable to take tamoxifen. Aromatase inhibitor therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat ER-positive breast cancer in people who have gone through menopause.

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Men should maintain low levels, but after a certain age, they reduce their testosterone and increase their estrogen levels. Fat deposition and our modern lifestyle heavily influence this. Thus, it is possible to make natural changes and use natural aromatase inhibitors for men to block estrogen dominance. For some women who have been https://collaltimmobiliare.it/how-steroids-can-help-bodybuilders-overcome-13/ treated with tamoxifen, changing to an aromatase inhibitor may be recommended at some time depending on her risk of recurrence.

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You and your health care provider can work together to decide how long you should take them. These medicines can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in those who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors also can be used to treat advanced breast cancer. And they may be an option for people who no longer benefit from tamoxifen treatment or whose treatment is completed.

Moreover, aromatase inhibitors can be used in premenopausal women if they are given together with a drug that suppresses ovarian function. Because the ovaries are the main source of estrogen in premenopausal women, estrogen levels in these women can be reduced by eliminating or suppressing ovarian function. Ovarian ablation can be done surgically in an operation to remove the ovaries called oophorectomy or by treatment with radiation. By mimicking gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), these medicines interfere with signals that stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen. Highest levels of aromatase are found in the ovary and placenta, which are the major sources of estrogen in premenopausal women 11.

In studies of the drug, weight gain occurred when Aromasin was used to treat advanced breast cancer. This was a common side effect in studies when the drug was used to treat early or advanced breast cancer. After five years of use, an estimated one of out of every 10 women on aromatase inhibitors will experience a fracture due to drug-induced osteoporosis. Aromatase inhibitors work by binding to aromatase and preventing aromatization from occurring.

What’s the half-life of Aromasin? And how does the drug work in the body?

Learn about aromatase inhibitors and other hormone therapies for metastatic breast cancer. The female hormone estrogen is “fuel” for about 80% of breast cancers in women who’ve gone through menopause. Aromasin’s mechanism of action (how it works) is blocking the effects of a hormone called estrogen. This action prevents or slows breast cancer from growing or spreading. In postmenopausal women, whose ovaries are no longer functioning, the peripheral tissues are the predominant source of estrogen.

Progesterone plays a role in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Clinicians can use aromatase inhibitors to induce ovulation in the treatment of infertility 6, 13. Aromatase activity increases in endometriosis with extrauterine endometrial tissue acting as a source of estrogens. Estrogen stimulates the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which causes increased aromatase activity in the endometrium.

If your level is low, they may recommend that you take a vitamin D supplement. Your doctor may also suggest other medications to prevent bone loss. Aromasin may also be used off-label for other types of breast cancer. With off-label use, a drug that’s approved for certain conditions is used for another purpose.

For that reason, aromatase inhibitors are the preferred treatment for post-menopausal women with estrogen-fueled breast cancers. But high estrogen levels may increase your risk of developing ER-positive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors block the enzyme aromatase, which turns other hormones into estrogen. By reducing your estrogen levels, aromatase inhibitors keep cancerous cells from growing and spreading. In people who have estrogen receptor positive tumors, the risk of recurrence does not decrease with time.