Medical uses and study of Exemestane

Introduction: Exemestane is a drug used for the treatment of breast cancer. It falls under the class of antiestrogens known as aromatase inhibitors. Certain breast cancers basically need estrogen to grow. Those cancers have estrogen receptors (ERs), and are named ER+. They may also be named estrogen-responsive, hormonally-responsive, or HR+. Aromatase is an enzyme that synthesizes estrogen. Aromatase inhibitors inhibit the synthesis of estrogen. This reduces the estrogen level, and resists the growth of cancers.

What is Exemestane?

Exemestane is used for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with ER +Ve early breast cancer who have alreadt taken 24 to 36 months of tamoxifen and are switched to it for finishing of a total of 5 consecutive years of adjuvant hormonal therapy. 

Exemestane 25 mg tablet is also introduced to treat advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose disease has progressed after the tamoxifen therapy.

For premenopausal women with HR+ breast cancer, adjuvant treatment with ovarian suppression in addition with aromatase inhibitor exemestane, in comparison to the ovarian suppression plus tamoxifen, offers a new treatment option that decreases the risk of recurrence.

Trials named TEXT and SOFT demonstrated improved disease free survival in patients who received treatment with exemestane and ovarian suppression in comparison to the tamoxifen and ovarian suppression population. Premenopausal women who receive ovarian suppression may now benefit from an aromatase inhibitor, a class of drugs that until now has been prescribed only for postmenopausal women. 

How to Take Exemestane? 

Exemestane is a tablet administered by mouth once daily. It can be administered with food or promptly after a meal through a glass of water. It should be taken at around the same time every day.

Price & Storage: Exemestane cost may vary around Rs. 320 to Rs. 2397 for a supply of 10 tablets. Store this medication at 25°C. Store it in an airtight container and place it away from children.

Research: Oral exemestane 25mg daily for two to three years of adjuvant therapy was more effective than 5-years of continuous adjuvant tamoxifen to treat postmenopausal women with early-stage ER+/unknown receptor status breast in a large well-designed trial. Preliminary findings from the open-label trial named TEAM  comparing exemestane with tamoxifen indicated in 2009 that exemestane 25 mg daily is also quite useful in the primary adjuvant treatment in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.

On behalf of interim phase-III trial findings in 2011, adding everolimus to exemestane therapy against advanced breast cancer can significantly improve PFS in comparison to the exemestane therapy alone.

Conclusion on behalf of phase-III trial noted in 2011, suggest that the use of exemestane in postmenopausal women at an increased risk for breast cancer decreased the incidence of invasive breast cancer. In a total of 4,560 women, following 35 months, the exemestane use at a dose of 25 mg daily resulted in a 65% reduction in the risk of breast cancer in comparison to placebo; annual incidence rates were noted as 0.19% and 0.55%, respectively.

Note: The piece of information provided about "What are the medical uses of Exemestane" in this article is just for informational purposes and is not served as a substitute for the medical treatment, consultation, diagnosis, of a qualified healthcare practitioner.