Exemestane is the generic name for the trade name drug Aromasin®. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name Aromasin® when referring to the generic drug name exemestane.
Exemestane is an anti-cancer hormone therapy. It is classified as an "aromatase inhibitor."

Applications

This medication is used to treat certain types of breast cancer (such as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer) in women after menopause. Exemestane is also used to help prevent the cancer from returning. Some breast cancers are made to grow faster by a natural hormone called estrogen. Exemestane decreases the amount of estrogen the body makes and helps to slow or reverse the growth of these breast cancers.
Exemestane is usually not used in women of childbearing age.

How Exemestane Is Given

Exemestane is a pill, taken by mouth.

You should take exemestane at about the same time each day. Take with food. If you miss a dose, do not take a double dose the next day.

You should not stop taking exemestane without discussing with your physician.

The amount of exemestane you receive depends on many factors. Your doctor will determine your dose and how long you will be taking exemestane.

Pharmacological effects

Hormones are chemical substances that are produced by glands in the body, which enter the bloodstream and cause effects in other tissues. The use of hormone therapy to treat cancer is based on the observation that receptors for specific hormones that are needed for cell growth are on the surface of some tumor cells. Hormone therapies work by stopping the production of a certain hormone, blocking hormone receptors, or substituting chemically similar agents for the active hormone, which cannot be used by the tumor cell. The different types of hormone therapies are categorized by their function and/or the type of hormone that is affected.

Exemestane is an aromatase inhibitor. This means it blocks the enzyme aromatase (found in the body's muscle, skin, breast and fat), which is used to convert androgens (hormones produced by the adrenal glands) into estrogen. In the absence of estrogen, tumors dependent on this hormone for growth will shrink.

Note: We strongly encourage you to talk with your health care professional about your specific medical condition and treatments. The information contained in this website is meant to be helpful and educational, but is not a substitute for medical advice.