Indications
Anastrozole is used as adjuvant treatment in postmenopausal women who have hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer. It is also used as first-line treatment in postmenopausal women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, when the hormone receptors are positive or the receptor status is unknown. For advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose disease has progressed after tamoxifen therapy, Anastrozole is used as second-line treatment. Patients with ER-negative disease, and those who did not respond to earlier tamoxifen therapy, rarely responded to Anastrozole.
⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.
Pharmacology
Anastrozole is a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor. Many breast cancers grow because estrogens stimulate or maintain them. In postmenopausal women, most estrogen comes from the action of the aromatase enzyme, which converts adrenal androgens (mainly androstenedione and testosterone) to estrone and estradiol. So if the aromatase enzyme is specifically inhibited, estrogen production can be suppressed in peripheral tissues and in the cancer tissue itself.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Anastrozole is Pregnancy Category X. Nobody knows whether Anastrozole passes into human breast milk. Many drugs do pass into milk, and they can cause serious side effects in a breastfed baby, so the mother and doctor need to decide whether to stop nursing or stop the medicine. That decision should take into account how much the mother needs the medicine.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Dosage Reference
⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.
Side Effects & Interactions
Side Effects
No side-effect data recorded yet.