Patient/caregiver was instructed upon therapeutic uses and mechanism of action of Arimidex as follows:
- Aromatase is an enzyme in the human body, helping with conversion of precursors of estrogens to estrogens.
- Excessive exposure to estrogen in women is considered to be an important factor stimulating the growth of established tumors along with development of new tumors in the breast tissue.
- Estrogen in women act on the estrogen receptors in the breast tissue and contribute to the growth of tumors.
- Arimidex is a medication used in the treatment of breast cancer, which acts by inhibiting the enzyme aromatase.
- Inhibition of aromatase by Arimidex results in reduced conversion of estrogen precursors to estrogen, thus reducing estrogen availability to the tumor cells.
- Reduced estrogen formation in the body leads to reduced exposure of estrogen receptors in the breast tissue to estrogen, which inhibits growth of tumors in the breast tissue.
- This action of Arimidex results in preventing development of new tumors, delayed growth of established tumors, thus contributing to treatment of breast cancer.
