What are aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer, and how do they work?

Aromatase inhibitors reduce the conversion of testosterone into estrogen (estradiol) and androstenedione into estrone, the latter being a minor estrogenic hormone in men. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is growing in popularity for treating low testosterone levels. The conundrum some men face is that estrogen levels tend to increase as testosterone levels do. As part of the steroidogenesis pathway, testosterone is metabolized into either dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the 5-alpha reductase enzyme or estradiol by the aromatase enzyme. Tamoxifenis one of the most commonly used hormone therapies for breast cancer.

Menopausal status

• Studies have found that exemestane and anastrozole may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who have already gone through menopause and may be at high risk of breast cancer.
• The aim of treatment for secondary breast cancer is to control the cancer and give you a good quality of life .
• In men, aromatase inhibitors are typically used with other medicines to better block hormones in the body.
• Women who haven’t gone through menopause, either naturally or as a result of cancer treatment, can have treatment to stop their ovaries from producing hormones.

However, overall survival is the same whether a woman takes an aromatase inhibitor for 5 years or 10 years [ ]. For most women, the benefit of the extra 5 years of treatment is small [112]. When an aromatase inhibitor is taken after tamoxifen, the drugs are taken for a combined total of 5-10 years. Aromatase inhibitors are most often used to treat existing breast https://lotus365.news/2024/04/22/exploring-the-role-of-steroids-in-increasing-15/ cancers or to prevent previous breast cancers from recurring. “I always advise patients to talk with their oncologist before starting any new supplements or herbs — especially since grape seed extract can increase the risk of bleeding,” adds Proctor. “Procyanidin B dimers are a phytochemical that is found in the skin and seeds of grapes.

Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors

However, there aren’t established guidelines for their use in males. More long-term studies are needed to establish efficacy and safety of the medications for this specific purpose. How you have treatment depends on the type of hormone therapy you have. LHRH drugs work by blocking a hormone made in the pituitary gland that stimulates your ovaries to make and release oestrogen. So you won’t have periods or release eggs while you are having the injections.

Zinc deficiency is also well-known to adversely affect male fertility, likely by altering the ratio of testosterone to estrogen. However, more clinical data is needed to confirm the impact of zinc supplements on estrogen levels in men. When a man has high testosterone levels, he won’t feel very “alpha” if estrogen levels are also sharply elevated. This article discusses how estrogen functions in males and symptoms of a testosterone and estrogen imbalance.

If you have ER-positive breast cancer, aromatase inhibitor therapy significantly reduces your risk that breast cancer will come back. One early study compared outcomes for those who took the aromatase inhibitor letrozole after tamoxifen and people who didn’t. The study showed that taking letrozole reduced the risk of dying of breast cancer by 24% to 35%. Additional studies are underway to determine whether aromatase inhibitors may reduce the risk of breast cancer in people with genetic mutations that increase breast cancer risk. Hormone therapy for breast cancer is often used after surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer might return.

In women, aromatase inhibitors are only used in those who have gone through menopause. They cannot be used unless your body is in natural menopause or in menopause induced by medicines or removal of the ovaries. In men, aromatase inhibitors are typically used with other medicines to better block hormones in the body. Aromatase inhibitors are medicines that reduce the amount of estrogen in the body. This medicine deprives breast cancer cells of the hormones they need to grow. However, there’s not enough research to conclude that breast cancer patients can replace aromatase inhibitors with grape seed extract or other dietary choices, cautions Proctor.

And lastly, always consult with a licensed physician, preferably one specializing in hormone replacement therapy, before taking a prescription estrogen blocker. The potential side effects of natural estrogen blockers are comparatively mild to those of pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors. So, what can you do to reduce estrogen levels if you’re a man? Read on to learn about estrogen blockers for men and how aromatase inhibitors work. If you can’t have tamoxifen for any reason, your doctor might recommend you have other types of hormone therapy such as an aromatase inhibitor.

Kailey Proctor, MPH, RDN, CSO, says that grape seed extract can act as an aromatase inhibitor due to its high levels of procyanidin B dimers. Likewise, men with low zinc levels consistently display lower androgen level readings, illustrating a definitive association between these two micronutrients and sex hormone levels. Healthy young men who followed a zinc-restricted diet for 20 weeks experienced a drastic decrease in total testosterone levels, falling to a mere 25% of baseline values [5]. It’s a worrying time for many people and we want to be there for you whenever – and wherever – you need us.