INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer has taken the shape of an epidemic among women, particularly postmenopausal women. There are several types of treatment available for breast cancer patients, namely surgery including mastectomy or lumpectomy, radiation therapy, drug-aided chemotherapy, hormone therapy consisting of tamoxifen, and the aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex (Anastrozole), Aromasin (Exemestane) and Femara (Letrozole). You can also rely on biological therapy such as Herceptin to treat this dreaded disease.

Hormonal therapy has gained popularity over the years as an adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of early stage breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Tamoxifen was the most sought-after hormonal therapy available in the market until a number of aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex (Anastrozole) came into the picture. Various clinical trials have found these inhibitors quite superior to tamoxifen in terms of effectiveness.

Arimidex (Anastrozole) blocks the action an enzyme called aromatase which is responsible for the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Estrogen is a type of hormone that usually promotes the rapid increase in the number of breast cancer cells, remained in the body even after breast cancer surgery. Inhibiting the action of aromatase enzyme leads to reduced levels of estrogen in the blood. This, in return, hampers the growth of breast cancer cells in the body and keeps the disease under control.

Anastrozole under the brand name Arimidex is the active ingredient in this medication. It is orally administered in 1 mg tablet form. Each tablet comprises certain inactive ingredients such as lactose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, magnesium stearate, sodium starch glycolate, polyethylene glycol, povidone, and titanium dioxide.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Generic Arimidex (Anastrozole) is indicated for adjuvant treatment (post-surgery treatment with or without radiation) of hormone receptor-positive early stage breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

It is used as a first-line treatment of hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (spreading of the disease to another part of the body) in postmenopausal women.

Anastrozole is also indicated for the treatment of advanced breast cancer with disease progression after the tamoxifen therapy in postmenopausal women. However, the drug is hardly responded by patients having ER-negative disease and patients with no response to preceding tamoxifen treatment.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

As far as dosage and administration of Arimidex (Anastrozole) is concerned, it is orally taken in the form of 1mg tablet once a day, with or without food. Take a full glass of water and swallow the pill whole without chewing or crushing it. The duration of the Anastrozole therapy must be five years to experience effective results. In case of patients with advanced breast cancer, the Arimidex treatment must be extended until tumor development. There is no need to adjust the dosages for patients suffering from renal impairment or for older patients.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Arimidex (Anastrozole) is contraindicated in pregnant women as it may cause harm to the fetus. Similarly, it is not prescribed for women who may conceive during the treatment. Anastrozole is not going to offer any medical benefit to premenopausal women with breast cancer. It is also contraindicated in patients who have shown allergic reaction to the drug or to any of its components.