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Altering the Estrogenic Milieu of Breast Cancer with a Focus on the New Aromatase Inhibitors
Author(s) -
Higa Gerald M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1592/phco.20.4.280.34879
Subject(s) - aromatase , tamoxifen , breast cancer , estrogen , hormone , endocrine system , medicine , endocrinology , cancer research , cancer
Aromatase is a dual‐enzyme complex that catalyzes the synthesis of estrogen from androgenic precursors. Although evidence implicates estrogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, recent findings suggest that deregulation of aromatase may be a crucial link between these hormones and this neoplasm. Whereas tamoxifen is the endocrine therapy of choice, selective inhibition of aromatase may be equally effective, and possibly less toxic, in the management of patients with hormone‐responsive breast tumors.