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For postmenopausal women with HR+ breast cancer

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What Is

Arimidex?

Questions About ARIMIDEX

Common Questions & Answers

With AMIRIDEX Patient Direct

How ARIMIDEX Works

When you were first diagnosed with HR+ early breast cancer, you and your doctor decided on an appropriate initial treatment, which may have included surgery, with or without radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Now you and your doctor may be considering a hormonal treatment (also called hormonal therapy) such as ARIMIDEX to help reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

In postmenopausal women, estrogen is mainly produced in other tissues such as liver, fat, muscle, and breast cells and not the ovaries. Estrogen produced in these tissues bind to estrogen receptors on breast cells causing the proliferation and growth of cancer cells. Aromatase inhibitors such as ARIMIDEX work by reducing the production of estrogen in these tissues by blocking the aromatase enzyme.

Aromatase and the hormone estrogen

In postmenopausal women, aromatase, an enzyme found in liver, fat, muscle, and breast cancer cells, changes androgens into the hormone estrogen. Some breast cancer tumors grow when estrogen is present.

ARIMIDEX is an aromatase inhibitor that works by blocking aromatase, lowering the amount of the potentially cancer-causing estrogen in the body.

Next: ARIMIDEX Dosing Information

Important Safety Information About ARIMIDEX

Prescription ARIMIDEX is only for postmenopausal women. ARIMIDEX should not be taken if you are pregnant because it may harm your unborn child. Do not take ARIMIDEX if you are allergic to any of its ingredients
Based on information from a study in patients with early breast cancer, women with a history of blockages in heart arteries (ischemic heart disease) who take ARIMIDEX may have a slight increase in this type of heart disease compared to similar patients who take tamoxifen
ARIMIDEX can cause bone softening/weakening (osteoporosis) increasing the chance of fractures. In a clinical study in early breast cancer, there were more fractures (including fractures of the spine, hip, and wrist) with ARIMIDEX (10%) than with tamoxifen (7%)
In a clinical study in early breast cancer, some patients taking ARIMIDEX had an increase in cholesterol. Skin reactions, allergic reactions, and changes in blood tests of liver function have also been reported
In the early breast cancer clinical trial, the most common side effects seen with ARIMIDEX include hot flashes, joint symptoms (including arthritis and arthralgia), weakness, mood changes, pain, back pain, sore throat, nausea and vomiting, rash, depression, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fractures, swelling of arms/legs, insomnia, and headache
In advanced breast cancer trials, the most common side effects seen with ARIMIDEX versus tamoxifen include hot flashes, nausea, decreased energy and weakness, pain, back pain, headache, bone pain, increased cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and swelling of arms and legs. Joint pain/stiffness has been reported in association with the use of ARIMIDEX
ARIMIDEX should not be taken with tamoxifen or estrogen-containing therapies

Approved Uses for ARIMIDEX

ARIMIDEX is approved for adjuvant treatment (treatment following surgery with or without radiation) of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer.

ARIMIDEX is approved for the initial treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer and for the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer that has progressed following treatment with tamoxifen. Patients with hormone receptor-negative disease and patients who did not previously respond to tamoxifen therapy rarely responded to ARIMIDEX.

For more information, see your doctor. Please see full Prescribing Information.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

This site is intended for US consumers only.

The information on this Web site should not take the place of talking with your doctor or health care professional. If you have any questions about your condition, or if you would like more information about ARIMIDEX, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Only you and your health care professional can decide if ARIMIDEX is right for you.