Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer Treatment

They can recommend other treatments and healthy ways to feed your child. In the 7 days before you start Aromasin treatment, your doctor will order a pregnancy test for you. Your doctor will also recommend that you use an effective type of birth control while you’re taking Aromasin. You’ll need to keep using the birth control for 1 month after you take your last dose of Aromasin. Taking some medications, foods, and other things with a certain drug can affect how the drug works.

What is an aromatase inhibitor?

Of these, persistent joint and muscle pain are the commonly cited reasons for treatment termination. Hot flashes are the most frequent side effect, impacting as many as 59% of women on aromatase inhibitors, according to a 2014 study in Cancer. But the hormone is still made in other areas of the body, mostly in fat cells.

Hormone therapy versus menopausal hormone therapy

Healthcare providers use aromatase inhibitors to treat a common breast cancer type. This therapy reduces your risk that breast cancer will come back after surgery. If you’re at an increased risk of a specific breast cancer, taking an aromatase inhibitor may reduce that risk. While tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors both prevent recurrence of estrogen-receptor https://www.lmconstrucoesrs.com.br/?p=153441 positive breast cancer, they do work in different ways and for different people. Aromatase inhibitors block this pathway and consequently suppress estrogen levels in postmenopausal women. The breast cancer cells also demonstrate aromatase activity, a likely source of local estrogen for the tumor cells.

Unlike tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors tend to speed up osteopenia (bone loss) in older women who are already at risk of bone problems. Most people take aromatase inhibitors for five years, stopping treatment if they don’t have signs of recurring or new breast cancer. Many costs for cancer treatment are tax deductible, including the out-of-pocket cost of hormone therapy medications. Good record keeping will help you to prove your expenses at tax time.

• Aromatase inhibitors are approved to reduce the risk of recurrence in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
• Aromatase inhibitors lower estrogen levels in the body by blocking aromatase, an enzyme that converts other hormones into estrogen.
• Talk with your doctor about your medical history and all the medications and over-the-counter products you take.
• They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also visit the Aromasin manufacturer’s website to see if they have support options. You may have questions about Aromasin and your treatment plan. It’s important to discuss all your concerns with your doctor.

What happens when you stop taking letrozole?

Do not stop taking letrozole without talking to your doctor. Current aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are considered 3rd generation aromatase inhibitors. These inhibitors include anastrozole and letrozole which are nonsteroidal, and exemestane which is a steroidal aromatase inhibitor.

However, neither medication has been approved for this use. 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. Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, exemestane and letrozole) all have generic forms.

Estrogen promotes the development and maintenance of female sex characteristics and the growth of long bones. Progesterone plays a role in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The primary source of estrogen prior to menopause are the ovaries (not the peripheral conversion of androgens to estrogen by aromatase as in postmenopausal women). Aromatase inhibitors are the most effective medications today for treating or preventing the recurrence of estrogen-fueled breast cancers in post-menopausal women.

“I always advise patients to talk with their oncologist before starting any new supplements or herbs — especially since grape seed extract can increase the risk of bleeding,” adds Proctor. Aromatase inhibitor therapy does not affect estrogen production in the ovaries. There are other Questions to Ask Your Doctor resources on many different breast cancer topics you may wish to download. A pathologist determines the hormone receptor status by testing the tumor tissue removed during a biopsy.