Anastrozole Uses Anastrozole is used in the treatment of breast cancer. It is administered alongside other treatments, such as surgery or radiation, for women who have reached menopause.
How Anastrozole works Anastrozole is an aromatase inhibitor that functions by reducing the amount of estrogen, a natural female hormone, produced in the body. This reduction can inhibit or halt the growth of certain breast cancer cells that rely on estrogen for their growth.
Common side effects of Anastrozole include headache, nausea, osteoporosis, weakness, diarrhea, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), joint inflammation, joint pain, muscle pain, rash, vaginal bleeding, vaginal dryness, vomiting, decreased appetite, sleepiness, carpal tunnel syndrome, sensory disturbance, hot flushes, increased alkaline phosphatase level in the blood, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, hair loss, allergic reaction, and bone pain.