Should I Take Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer?

There aren’t any foods that have been specifically reported to interact with Aromasin. If you have any questions about eating certain foods with Aromasin, talk with your doctor. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase the number of side effects or make them more severe. The safety and effectiveness of Aromasin in children hasn’t been studied. The first study looked at women who took either Aromasin or megestrol acetate.

The aromatase enzyme, alternatively known as estrogen synthase, is a mono-oxygenase that belongs to the cytochrome P450 family and is encoded by the CYP19A1 gene 33. This enzyme catalyzes the demethylation of carbon 19 in androgens causing their aromatization into 18-carbon estrogens 110. Androstenedione, testosterone, and 16-hydroxytestosterone are the physiological substrates of aromatase, which are then transformed into E1, E2, and E3, respectively 111. Collectively, the synthesis of estrogen is catalyzed by the aromatase enzyme, which converts endogenous androgens into estrogens 111. The biosynthesis of estrogen takes place through a series of reactions catalyzed by a number of cytochrome P450 enzymes and different hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 33. It starts by the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone by cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A) 33.

• Hormone-dependent breast cancer and other endocrine disorders prompted investigators to develop potent and selective aromatase inhibitors.
• If Aromasin isn’t right for you, your doctor may switch you to a different drug.
• Bodybuilders could gain from this since it can lessen water retention and gynecomastia, which is the development of larger breasts in men.
• Unlike tamoxifen and raloxifene, AIs tend to speed up bone thinning, which can lead to osteoporosis.
• In 1981, the effect of using 4-hydroxy-androstenedione (4-OH-A) against breast cancer in post-menopausal women was reported 150, 151.
• E2 can also act indirectly by stimulating transcription factors 143.

Aromatase Inhibitors in Early Breast Cancer

These drugs may also cause itchiness, joint pain, and weakening of the bones (osteoporosis). You may also be given a drug to stop the production of oestrogen (e.g. goserelin). This can be started before or after chemotherapy but must be continued while you take the aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase inhibitors (e.g. anastrozole, exemestane and letrozole) are mostly used if you have been through menopause, have had your ovaries removed, or are male. They may be used if you have not been through menopause but have a high risk of the cancer returning.

This collective work sets up the stage for investigating how diet may influence disease such as cancer 6, 59. There are many articles and reviews that provide details on this topic which is beyond the scope of this review. Many breast tumours are dependent upon oestrogen for their development and continued growth.

In a study of advanced breast cancer, fractures were reported by less than 5% of women who took Aromasin. It’s not known how many women who took megestrol reported bone https://globmops.com/2025/02/19/p-bol-10-mg-muscle-pharm-a-comprehensive-guide/ loss or fractures. During one study of advanced breast cancer, 13% of women who took Aromasin reported having depression.

Early Menopause and Delayed Hormone Therapy Tied to Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

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. Based on these results, you and your health care provider may choose to use aromatase inhibitors to reduce the risk of breast cancer, though these drugs aren’t approved by the U.S.

But it was back in 1987 that a British company developed this AI called Imperial Chemical Industries – the same company that developed Nolvadex. In large studies, both exemestane and anastrozole drugs have been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at increased risk. Although some expert groups include these drugs as options for reducing breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women, they are not being approved by the FDA to lower the risk of breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are a class of medicines that work by blocking the enzyme aromatase, the enzyme that converts androgens into estrogen. Aromatase inhibitors are used in the treatment of breast cancer to reduce levels of circulating estrogen.

Medications that contain estrogen can interfere with how well Aromasin works. These medications can include certain types of hormone replacement therapy and birth control. Aromasin has been used by bodybuilders for the purpose of muscle growth and prevention of gynecomastia (breast growth in males). But the FDA hasn’t approved the drug for this use, and it’s illegal to buy Aromasin for this purpose. Also, the World Anti-Doping Agency has banned Aromasin and many other prescription drugs for this use. Aromasin stops most of your body from making estrogen, with the exception of your ovaries.

This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the request and let you and your doctor know if your plan will cover Aromasin. CYP3A4 is a protein that helps metabolize (break down) Aromasin so it can leave your body after the medication has done its job. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods.

In theory, you can get all the benefits you need from just eating a ton of celery. Depending on how severe your side effects are, your doctor may suggest treatments to manage the side effect. Make sure you do not change your treatment without first talking with your doctor.