About 80% of breast cancers in postmenopausal women are “fueled” by the female hormone oestrogen.
Breast medical oncologist Dr. Rachel Layman notes, “Menopause itself does not increase the risk for breast cancer, but ageing does.” It has been said that “a woman’s risk increases in proportion to the amount of oestrogen she has collected in her body over the course of her lifetime.”
Aromatase inhibitors are medications that block the enzyme responsible for producing oestrogen, starving cancer cells of their food source.
We spoke with Layman to get the lowdown on these post-menopausal women-only hormone treatment medications.
Anti-aromatase drugs: what are they?
Aromatase inhibitors are among the most effective drugs now for treating or preventing the recurrence of estrogen-fueled breast tumours in post-menopausal women.
FDA approval has been granted to three aromatase inhibitors: anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane.
After menopause, doesn’t a woman’s body naturally cease producing oestrogen?
Not at all. Before reaching menopause, oestrogen is mostly produced by the ovaries. After menopause, the ovaries no longer generate oestrogen.
However, the hormone is also produced in other tissues, particularly adipose (fat) tissue. Possible explanation for why postmenopausal weight increase is a major factor in the development of breast cancer. In general, greater fat means more oestrogen.
Inhibitors of aromatase: how do they help?
Aromatase is an enzyme found in adipose tissue, and it is responsible for the conversion of androgens into oestrogen. An aromatase inhibitor blocks or halts this process. As a result, the medications may reduce oestrogen levels by as much as 95% in the body. Cancer cells cannot survive without a supply of oestrogen to grow on.
The question arises as to why aromatase inhibitors are not recommended for use by younger women.
To clarify, aromatase inhibitors do not prevent oestrogen production by the ovaries. Arimidex 1mg inhibitors won’t help if your ovaries are still producing eggs.
Aromatase inhibitors block the enzyme in fat responsible for producing oestrogen, although they don’t affect the ovaries directly.
What are the timing and procedure for administering aromatase inhibitors?
Anti-estrogen medications, or aromatase inhibitors, are typically used once daily. After a breast tumour has been surgically removed, the medication is often started. It is common for them to continue taking the medication for five to ten years, however this time frame varies with the patient’s prognosis should the cancer return. Aromatase inhibitors are sometimes used prior to surgery for breast cancer pills in order to reduce the size of the tumour.
To compare tamoxifen with aromatase inhibitors, what are the key differences?
Tamoxifen, or less often raloxifene, is administered to premenopausal women with estrogen-driven breast cancer. These medications combat oestrogen in a manner distinct from aromatase inhibitors.
Neither oestrogen nor cancer cells can adhere to tamoxifen or raloxifene. The medications prevent oestrogen from binding with other hormones in the body and providing fuel for the tumour, despite the fact that oestrogen is present in full concentrations.
Inhibitors of aromatase block the enzyme’s ability to produce estradiol, reducing the hormone’s production in the body.
While aromatase inhibitors are only effective in postmenopausal women, tamoxifen and raloxifene are useful for women of all ages. Aromatase inhibitors are roughly 30% more effective than tamoxifen or raloxifene in preventing breast cancer recurrence, according to clinical research. Postmenopausal women with estrogen-driven breast malignancies benefit most with aromatase inhibitors.
Inhibitors of aromatase have the potential to both cure and prevent breast cancer.
Most often, aromatase inhibitors are used to treat advanced breast cancer or to prevent recurrence of a prior diagnosis of breast cancer.
Research shows that the aromatase inhibitors anastrozole and exemestane may reduce breast cancer risk in people who have never had the illness. However, the FDA has not yet greenlighted this application for these medications.
More research is being done to see whether aromatase inhibitors may lower breast cancer risk for persons who have inherited abnormalities that make them more susceptible to the disease.
Does using an aromatase inhibitor come with any negative effects?
Aromatase inhibitors work by reducing oestrogen levels, therefore the most prevalent adverse effects are those associated with menopause. For example:
Sweaty palms
Persistent perspiration throughout the night
Osteoporosis
pain in the joints
Swings in Mood
Sensation of dryness in the genital area
Once the course of treatment with the medicine is through, the symptoms disappear. Aromatase inhibitors have varying effects on different patients, although very few patients develop serious adverse effects.
Could you provide any words of wisdom to postmenopausal women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer?
After menopause, it might be shocking to learn that you have breast cancer. You’ve just started a new phase of your life when you get the devastating news that you have cancer.
Estrogen-driven breast cancers are less deadly and more treatable than other types of the illness.
The aromatase inhibitors have been shown safe and effective in several clinical studies for the treatment and prevention of estrogen-driven breast malignancies in postmenopausal women.
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