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

That said, studies show breast cancer can come back as long as 20 years after treatment. If you’re receiving treatment for ER-positive breast cancer, ask your healthcare provider to explain your risk of late recurrence breast cancer. Treatment withtamoxifen for two to five years before aromatase inhibitors may slow down the rate of bone loss. Similarly, bisphosphonate drugs like Zometa (zoledronic acid) may help counteract osteopenia, though they increase the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw.

What are hormones?

The long-term effects of aromatase inhibitors are arguably more concerning. Unlike tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors tend to speed up osteopenia (bone loss) in older women who are already at risk of bone problems. As with any medication, aromatase inhibitors can cause side effects and adverse reactions. Some of the more common ones are related to the reduction of estrogen in the body, leading to menopausal symptoms and other more potentially serious complications. Aromatase inhibitors are unable to prevent the ovaries from making estrogen, which means that they are only used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Your doctor might recommend you take tamoxifen to lower the risk of breast cancer coming back (recurring) after surgery.

• Aromatase inhibitors are used to treat breast cancer in women.
• Like aromatase inhibitors, these drugs work against estrogen, but in a different way.
• One may already be included in your policy, or you may be able to buy an extra plan for prescriptions.
• People with osteoporosis are more likely to have broken bones.

Clinical use

You might also have calcium and vitamin D supplements to help reduce the effect on your bones. Try to take it at the same time each day, preferably https://www.turismomarmolejo.com/2024/05/24/ghrp-2-10-mg-peptide-sciences-results-4/ after a meal. Your donation can make a difference in the future of healthcare. Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.

For women with breast cancer, there is growing evidence aromatase inhibitors are more effective than tamoxifen, the drug traditionally used to prevent breast cancer recurrence. In addition, clinical research is pointing to a day where aromatase inhibitors may be used to prevent breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at an increased risk of the disease. 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. In people who have estrogen receptor positive tumors, the risk of recurrence does not decrease with time. In fact, a hormone positive early stage breast cancer is more likely to recur after five years than in the first five years.

Hormone therapy works by either lowering the amount of hormones in the body or by blocking them from getting to breast cancer cells. All three aromatase inhibitors work the same way and reduce the production of estrogen in the body. Aromatase inhibitors are medicines that reduce the amount of estrogen in the body. This medicine deprives breast cancer cells of the hormones they need to grow. Hormone therapy is only used for breast cancers that are found to have receptors for the naturally occurring hormones estrogen or progesterone.