Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
Research. Support. Education.
Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
Exemestane is a type of hormone therapy drug.
You might have it as a treatment for breast cancer after you have had the menopause.
Many breast cancers are stimulated to grow by the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. These breast cancers are called hormone sensitive or hormone receptor positive. Blocking the effects of these hormones can treat breast cancer.
In women who have had their menopause, oestrogen is mainly produced by changing androgens (sex hormones produced by the adrenal glands) into oestrogens. This process is called aromatisation and happens mainly in the fatty tissues, muscle and skin. It needs a particular enzyme called aromatase.
Exemestane blocks the process of aromatisation. So it lowers the amount of oestrogen in the body. In early breast cancer, taking exemestane can help to stop breast cancer coming back. In advanced breast cancer, the cancer cells may grow more slowly or stop growing completely.
You have exemestane as tablets.
You take exemestane once a day, usually for a few years.
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
How often and how severe the side effects are can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having. For example, your side effects could be worse if you're also having other drugs or radiotherapy.
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