Anastrozole (
INN, trade name: Arimidex®) is a drug indicated in the treatment of
breast cancer in post-
menopausal women. It is used both in adjuvant therapy (i.e. following surgery) and in
metastatic breast cancer. It has the effect of decreasing the amount of
estrogens that the body makes.Anastrozole belongs in the class of drugs known as
aromatase inhibitors. It inhibits the enzyme
aromatase, which is responsible for converting
androgens (produced by women in the
adrenal glands) to estrogens.The ATAC (Arimidex,
Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial represents a long-term follow-up study of 9366 women with localized
breast cancer who received either anastrozole, tamoxifen, or both. After more than 5 years the group that received anastrozole had significantly better clinical results than the tamoxifen group. The trial suggested that anastrozole is the preferred medical therapy for postmenopausal women with localized breast cancer that is
estrogen receptor positive.
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An anticancer drug that is used to decrease estrogen production and suppress the growth of tumors that need estrogen to grow. It belongs to the family of drugs called nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors.