Last Updated on March 16, 2024
Anastrozole is a medicine used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It works by reducing the amount of oestrogen produced by the body, which can slow or stop the growth of certain types of breast cancer. Currently, anastrozole is only available on prescription in the UK. However, there have been discussions about making it available over the counter.
There are currently no plans to make anastrozole available over the counter in the UK. This is partly due to concerns that patients may not be able to accurately self-diagnose and may end up taking the drug when it isn’t necessary or appropriate. There is also a risk that anastrozole may interact with other medicines or medical conditions, which could be dangerous if patients aren’t properly assessed by a healthcare professional.
If you have been prescribed anastrozole and are looking for a more convenient way to get it, you may want to consider using an online pharmacy. Many reputable online pharmacies offer prescription medications at lower prices than bricks-and-mortar pharmacies, and they often offer convenient delivery options as well. Just make sure you choose a licensed pharmacy with a good reputation, and be aware that you will still need to provide a valid prescription.
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What is Anastrozole?
Anastrozole is a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor used to treat breast cancer. It works by stopping the body’s production of female sex hormones. This makes it suitable for hormone-sensitive forms of breast cancer, i.e. tumours whose growth is influenced by sex hormones. Read all about the working of Anastrozole, including how it works, its side effects and how it may interact with other medicines.
How Anastrozole works?
During the development of the female sex organs during puberty, the body secretes specific oestrogens (female sex hormones) to stimulate the tissue to grow. After the end of puberty, this process is complete and the oestrogen produced only controls the menstrual cycle, making pregnancy possible.
Sometimes a mistake is made in this complex control process. For example, breast tissue may still respond to female hormones and grow in response. This uncontrolled, hormone-dependent growth leads to overgrowth – breast cancer.
Such tumours can be treated by blocking the production of oestrogen. The body needs the enzyme aromatase to produce the female sex hormone testosterone from precursors such as oestrogen. Certain drugs – called aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole – can block this enzyme. This stops a hormone-dependent breast cancer tumour growing.
Anastrozole is only used in post-menopausal women, when the production of oestrogen itself is greatly reduced.
Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of Anastrozole
After taking the drug, peak levels are reached in the body within two hours. It is largely metabolised by the liver and excreted in the urine. Only a small amount leaves the body unchanged. The drug remains in the body for a relatively long time: about two days after ingestion, only about half is excreted.
When is Anastrozole used?
The aromatase inhibitor anastrozole is used in the following cases:
- for the treatment of hormone-sensitive advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women
- to support the treatment of early breast cancer that has spread to other tissues in postmenopausal women, both initially and after two to three years of pre-treatment with tamoxifen
Anastrozole is given over a long period of time, sometimes several years.
How Anastrozole is taken?
Anastrozole is taken as tablets (one milligram of active ingredient). One tablet is taken once a day, with or without food, at about the same time of day.
What are the side effects of Anastrozole?
The most common side effects of anastrozole are arthritis, bone loss and weakness. “Very common” means that these adverse effects occur in more than one in ten patients.
More common side effects of anastrozole (affecting one to ten per cent of patients) are high cholesterol, loss of appetite, drowsiness, taste disturbance, paresthesia, allergic reactions, vaginal dryness, vaginal bleeding, muscle and bone pain.
What should I watch for while taking Anastrozole?
Studies have shown no or only minor interactions between anastrozole and other drugs commonly used by breast cancer patients. However, you should discuss any other medicines you are taking with your doctor or pharmacist. This also applies to herbal and dietary supplements.
Taking tamoxifen or oestrogen at the same time can reduce the effect of anastrozole.
Women with osteoporosis or at increased risk of osteoporosis should have their bone density measured before starting and periodically during treatment with anastrozole. If necessary, this should be done in time to prevent a decrease in bone density.
Patients with severe liver or kidney dysfunction should only be treated with anastrozole in exceptional circumstances.
Men, pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, adolescents and premenopausal women should not be treated with anastrozole. However, this may change in the future: Trials are underway to see if it is possible to treat elevated levels of oestrogen in boys and men with anastrozole.
How to get Anastrozole
The breast cancer drug anastrozole is only available on prescription. This means that you can only get it from a pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription.
Since when Anastrozole is known?
The aromatase inhibitor anastrozole was developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and first approved in Germany in 1996. Because the drug is on the World Health Organisation’s list of essential medicines and is therefore widely prescribed, there have been many expensive generic versions of anastrozole since 2010.