Anastrozole Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Anastrozole Tablet contains Anastrozole, a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor used to treat hormone receptor positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It works by lowering estrogen levels in the body to help slow or stop the growth of hormone-sensitive breast cancer. The typical dose for adults is 1 mg once daily, taken exactly as directed by a healthcare professional. It must not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

What is Anastrozole Tablet

Anastrozole is a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor used to treat hormone receptor positive breast cancer in women who have been through menopause.

Anastrozole Tablet uses

• Adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer
• Hormonal treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women
• First-line treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer
• Treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following tamoxifen therapy

Benefits of Anastrozole Tablet

• Helps delay the breast cancer from recurring when used as adjuvant therapy after surgery
• May reduce the growth of breast cancer
• Shown to reduce the risk of disease recurrence or death compared to tamoxifen in early breast cancer studies

How Anastrozole Tablet works

Anastrozole blocks an enzyme called aromatase that the body needs to make estrogen. Since estrogen can stimulate the growth of hormone-sensitive breast cancer, lowering estrogen levels can help slow or stop tumor growth.

Anastrozole Tablet dosage

Take exactly as your healthcare professional has told you. Swallow the tablet with fluids, and try to take your tablet at the same time each day. It can be taken with or without food. Continue taking it for as long as your healthcare professional tells you to.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet, 1 mg

Side effects of Anastrozole Tablet

Common

• Hot flushes
• Joint pain, joint stiffness or broken bones
• Weakness (asthenia)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (tingling, pain, coldness, weakness in parts of the hand)
• Tingling or numbness of skin, loss or change in taste
• Vaginal dryness
• Hair thinning
• Rash
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Changes in liver function shown in blood tests
• Bone pain
• Muscle pain
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Sleepiness or tiredness
• Trigger finger
• High blood cholesterol shown in blood tests

Serious

• Depression, including thoughts of death or suicide
• Osteoporosis (bone loss, thin and fragile bones) with broken bones or back pain
• Ischemic heart disease (reduced blood flow to the heart) causing chest pain
• Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
• Vaginal bleeding, usually in the first weeks of treatment
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin reaction with lesions, ulcers, blisters)
• Allergic reactions with swelling of face, lips, tongue and/or throat

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine must not be used by women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant, as it can harm an unborn baby.
• This medicine must not be used while breastfeeding.
• No dose change is usually needed for kidney problems, but doctors will still weigh the risks and benefits carefully in people with severe kidney impairment.
• People with severe liver problems should have the risks and benefits carefully considered before starting this medicine, since it has not been studied in this group.
• This medicine is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or use machines, but some people may feel weak or sleepy, so caution is advised if this happens.
• This medicine should not be taken by women who have not yet gone through menopause, because it has not been shown to be safe or effective in this group.
• People with osteoporosis or risk factors for weak bones need careful monitoring, since this medicine can lower bone mineral density and increase fracture risk.
• This medicine may cause joint pain, stiffness, or arthritis that can affect daily life and willingness to keep taking the medicine.
• In people with existing heart artery disease, this medicine has been linked to a higher rate of heart problems compared to tamoxifen.
• Medicines containing estrogen, including some herbal products, should not be used together with this medicine because they may work against it.
• This medicine should not be taken together with tamoxifen, since combining them does not provide extra benefit.

Storage

• Store at room temperature, between 15°C to 30°C
• Keep your tablets in the original container
• Do not use after the expiry date on the packaging
• Keep out of reach and sight of children

When to see a doctor

• Get medical help right away if you notice swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, with or without trouble swallowing or breathing, as this can be a severe allergic reaction.
• Stop the medicine and get immediate medical help if you develop skin blisters, ulcers, or sores, which could be a sign of a severe skin reaction.
• Seek medical attention if you feel generally unwell, notice yellowing of the skin or eyes, or have pain in the upper right side of your abdomen, as these can be signs of liver problems.
• Talk to your healthcare professional if you have chest pain, since this can be a sign of reduced blood flow to the heart.
• If you think you have taken too much of this medicine, contact a healthcare professional or hospital emergency department right away, even if you feel fine.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you experience ongoing sadness, major changes in sleep or weight, pulling away from friends and family, or thoughts of death or suicide.

Alternatives

• Letrozole
• Exemestane