The number of breast cancer cases in postmenopausal women is showing an upward swing. Though there is surgery option like mastectomy or lumpectomy available for the treatment of breast cancer, the breast cancer symptoms keep coming back even after the surgery. Here comes the hormonal therapy like Arimidex (Anastrozole) that prevents a sex hormone called estrogen from promoting breast cancer cells that might stay in the system following the breast cancer operation.

If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer recently and are unknown to hormonal therapy, it is the proper time to learn how Arimidex (Anastrozole) is going to lower your risk of breast cancer return. As a prescription drug, Arimidex is approved for the adjuvant or post-surgery treatment of hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Anastrozole which is its generic name treats breast cancer by reducing the levels of estrogen in the body. It acts upon an enzyme known as aromatase by inhibiting its action of converting androgens to estrogens. Arimidex (Anastrozole) is the most prescribed aromatase inhibitor though there are also Femara (Letrozole) and Aromasin (Exemestane) available in this class.

Arimidex is made by AstraZeneca under the US patent which expires in 2010. It is the same company that explored tamoxifen as the first adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. The popularity Arimidex can be gauged from its annual sales which are hovering around $2.2bn. The generic form of this medication is also obtainable in some markets at a cheaper price.

Arimidex (Anastrozole) as an aromatase inhibitor boasts of more than 8 years of clinical data that comprises 5 years on treatment and over 3 years of follow-up that exhibit its effectiveness and safety in the early treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The famous ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial involves a long-run follow-up study of 9366 women having localized breast cancer who were administered either Arimidex, tamoxifen, or both. Startling results were obtained after more than 5 years of treatment. The group that had been taking Anastrozole demonstrated better clinical results in comparison to the group taking tamoxifen. The fact that came out of this trial is that Arimidex (Anastrozole) is the superior hormonal therapy for the treatment of localized breast cancer with estrogen receptor (ER) positive in postmenopausal women.

Another study on Arimidex (Anastrozole) revealed that the risk of breast cancer return was decreased by 40% with this therapy. Patients with ER negative can also be benefited from shifting to Arimidex. It is also quite effective in treating metastases (a condition where cancer spreads to another part of the body) in postmenopausal women.