What are aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer, and how do they work?

Hormone therapy for breast cancer is a treatment for breast cancers that are sensitive to hormones. Some forms of hormone therapy for breast cancer work by blocking hormones from attaching to receptors on cancer cells. Other forms work by decreasing the body’s production of hormones. If you have ER-positive breast cancer, aromatase inhibitor therapy significantly reduces your risk that breast cancer will come back.

Off-Label Use of Medications

Aromatase inhibitors are approved to reduce the risk of recurrence in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. They can also be used to treat advanced breast cancer, including stage 4 breast cancer, in which the malignancy has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. An aromatase inhibitor (AI) is a type of hormone therapy for cancer.

Clinical trials

I’m honestly surprised you weren’t ever recommended these treatments, even though I have heard horrific stories of pelvic pain being ignored before.
Komen supports state and federal efforts to require insurers to provide the same or better coverage for oral cancer drugs as they do for IV and injectable cancer drugs.
Aromatase inhibitors lower estrogen levels in the body by blocking aromatase, an enzyme that converts other hormones into estrogen.
Although the exact treatment for breast cancer varies from person to person, evidence-based guidelines help make sure high-quality care is given.

Together with your health care team, make thoughtful, informed decisions that are best for you. Each treatment has risks and benefits to consider along with your own values and lifestyle. However, some premenopausal women may take an aromatase inhibitor when combined with ovarian suppression, which shuts down the ovaries. Learn about aromatase inhibitors and treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Learn about aromatase inhibitors and other hormone therapies for metastatic breast cancer.

It drives me nuts that everyone can empathize with a migraine headache, but no one has empathy for someone with menstrual cramps. Treatments to stop ovarian function may allow those who haven’t been through menopause to take medicines only available to those who’ve been through menopause. Women with pre-existing heart disease who take an AI may be at higher risk of having a heart problem.

However, there aren’t established guidelines for their use in males. More long-term studies are needed to establish efficacy and safety of the medications for this specific purpose. Estrogen is often thought of as a female hormone, as the ovaries produce much of the hormone. However, males also have estrogen in their bodies with about 20% of estrogen produced by the testes. Patients react differently to aromatase inhibitors, but few experience side effects severe enough to interfere with daily life. Unlike tamoxifen and raloxifene, AIs tend to speed up bone thinning, which can lead to osteoporosis.

One early study compared outcomes for those who took the aromatase inhibitor letrozole after tamoxifen and people who didn’t. The study showed that taking letrozole reduced the risk of dying of breast cancer by 24% to 35%. The most significant benefit is being free of ER-positive breast cancer. Studies show 95% of people who receive aromatase inhibitor therapy after breast cancer surgery don’t have breast cancer signs five years after completing treatment.

A 2020 research article published in JCI Insight suggests that aromatase inhibitors can reduce breast cancer recurrence and help improve your outlook. However, the cancer returned in as many as 30 percent of people observed in the study. Aromatase inhibitors are the most effective medications today for treating or preventing the recurrence of estrogen-fueled breast cancers in post-menopausal women. Clinical trials have shown that two aromatase inhibitors – anastrozole and exemestane – can lower breast cancer risk in women who have never been diagnosed with the disease. However, these drugs have not yet received FDA approval for this use.

Aromatase inhibitors don’t stop the ovaries from making estrogen. If your ovaries are still functioning, aromatase inhibitors will have no effect. Although the FDA has not yet approved aromatase inhibitors for any of these purposes, many https://mithion.com/study-finds-optimal-dosage-of-nandrolone-decanoate-2/ believe that supporting research will one day broaden the current treatment recommendations. Aromatase inhibitors should not be used in people with a known hypersensitivity to any of the active or inactive ingredients in the drug.