Aromasin tablets contain the
active ingredient exemestane, which is a type of medicine called an
aromatase inhibitor. It works by preventing the action of an enzyme in
the body called the aromatase enzyme.
The aromatase enzyme is involved in producing the female sex hormone, oestrogen, in women who have gone through the menopause.
The enzyme converts the sex hormones androstenedione (produced by the
ovaries), and testosterone, into oestrogen. Exemestane prevents this
conversion by blocking the action of the aromatase enzyme. This causes
a reduction in oestrogen levels.
Most breast cancers are sensitive to
oestrogen, and their growth is stimulated by this hormone. By lowering
the levels of oestrogen in the body, exemestane starves the breast
cancer cells and stops them from growing. Exemestane is only effective
in treating breast cancers that are sensitive to oestrogen (these are
sometimes called oestrogen receptor positive cancers).
Exemestane is only effective in
postmenopausal women, since before the menopause, oestrogen is mainly
produced directly by the ovaries and not by the action of the aromatase
enzyme.
Exemestane is used to treat breast
cancer in women who are postmenopausal, either naturally, or as a
result of medical treatment. It is used for treating women with early
invasive cancers, after they have completed two to three years of
treatment with tamoxifen.
It is also used to treat advanced cancers, where the cancer has
continued to grow despite using other anti-oestrogen medicines.
What is it used for?
Early invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have had two to three years of treatment with tamoxifen
Advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women where other anti-oestrogen medicines have not been effective
Warning!
This medicine might make you feel sleepy,
dizzy or weak and could therefore affect your mental or physical
ability to safely drive or operate machinary. You should be aware of
how you react to this medicine before driving or operating machinary.
Oestrogen helps protect bone strength. After
the menopause, oestrogen levels fall naturally and this can cause your
bones to become weaker. As this medicine further reduces oestrogen
levels, it may cause a further loss of bone strength. For this reason,
women who have osteoporosis,
or risk factors for developing osteoporosis, should have their bone
mineral density assessed before this medicine is started. If bone loss
increases during treatment this may increase the risk of breaking a
bone and your doctor may therefore want you to take additional medicine
to help protect your bones.
Rare hereditary problems of fructose
intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase
insufficiency (Aromasin tablets contain sucrose)
This medicine should not be used if you are
allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or
pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using
this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be
used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be
safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the
mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor
if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
This medicine is only for women who have
passed the menopause and should not be used during pregnancy or
breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Label warnings
Take this medication with or after food.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side
effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following
are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this
medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that
all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Hot flushes
Fatigue
Joint pain
Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
Headache
Increased sweating
Disturbances of the gut such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
Dizziness
Depression
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Skin rashes
Hair loss (alopecia)
Swelling of the legs and ankles due to excess fluid retention (peripheral oedema)
Pain
Weakness
Sleepiness
Disturbances in the normal levels of blood cells in the blood
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with
this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine
or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How can this medicine affect other medicines?
You should tell your doctor or
pharmacist what medicines you are taking, including those bought
without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment
with this medicine. Likewise, you should always check with your doctor
or pharmacist before taking any new medicines during treatment with
this one, so they can check that the combination is safe.
Medicines that contain oestrogens, for
example hormone replacement therapy (HRT), should not be taken in
combination with this medicine, as they will oppose its action and make
it less effective at treating the cancer.
The following medicines may potentially reduce the blood level of this medicine and could make it less effective:
rifampicin
phenytoin
carbamazepine
the herbal remedy St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum).
Other medicines containing the same active ingredient
There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain exemestane as the active ingredient.
