I was taught by my tutor about the use of tamoxifen in the treatment of breast cancer. Tamoxifen (oestrogen inhibitor) is used to block and stop oestrogen to cancer cell. This is because the certain breast cancer cells use the oestrogen to survive. Tamoxifen can be used in both pre- and postmenopausal women.
On the other hand, aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole is used in postmenopausal women only with breast cancer. It works by inhibiting the conversion of androgen to oestrogen. This is because androgen present in the women as well and may be converted to oestrogen.
At home, I did further study on the topic and learned that diethylstilbestrol is used to treat prostate cancer in men by suppressing the effect of testosterone, hence shrinking the tumour. It can be used to treat breast cancer in women as well but higher doses are needed.
Apart from that, I also learned that gonadorelin analogue is used to treat advanced breast cancer in premenopausal women and advanced prostate cancer in men. It is known that the gonadorelin analogue causes stimulation of luteinising hormone (LH) release in the first 1 – 2 weeks before it starts depress the LH the following weeks. Therefore, it is important to administer the patient with anti-androgen before starting gonadorelin analogue, approximately 3 weeks before.
Examples of gonadorelin analogues are buserelin, goserelin, or triptorelin.
Examples of anti-androgens are cyprotene acetate, flutamide, or bicalutamide.
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