Anastrozole: Frequently Asked Questions Answered

What is Anastrozole?

Anastrozole is an oral prescription drug available as the brand name drug called Arimidex. It is used in combination with other drugs to treat breast cancer in women and is suitable for women who have been through menopause and whose breast cancer is estrogen receptor-positive.

Anastrozole belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors that block estrogen production, which contributes to tumor growth in breast cancer.

This drug targets an enzyme called aromatase that changes androgens, a class of hormones, and converts them into estrogen. Anastrozole stops aromatase from working and consequently scales down estrogen levels.

But if you are a woman who has not gone through menopause, then Anastrozole should be avoided. If you get pregnant while taking this drug, you must stop the medicine’s consumption right away.

What are the uses of Anastrozole?

It is used to treat women who have passed through menopause and have hormone receptor-positive or unknown breast cancer after surgery or in addition to other therapies. It is also used where breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. 

This drug can also treat advanced breast cancer when the disease has progressed into the final stages. 

This hormone-based therapy is not used for women who have estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. It also doesn’t work well in women whose bodies didn’t respond to treatment with tamoxifen, a drug similar to Anastrozole.