About ARIMIDEXFAQs about ARIMIDEX

If you are fighting early breast cancer, you may have many questions about treatment with ARIMIDEX. While you'll find answers to some of those questions here, the best way to get the information you need is to speak directly to your doctor. Together, you and your doctor can decide upon a course of treatment that is right for you. To receive additional materials relating to treatment with ARIMIDEX, sign up here.

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Frequently asked questions for patients considering ARIMIDEX

Frequently asked questions for patients taking or about to start taking ARIMIDEX

Should I take ARIMIDEX for my early breast cancer?

If you are postmenopausal and have been diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer, and have recently undergone surgery and radiation and/or chemotherapy, ARIMIDEX may be right for you. Discuss all your treatment options with your doctor.

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What are the most common side effects of ARIMIDEX?

In the early breast cancer clinical trial, the most common side effects seen with ARIMIDEX include hot flashes, joint symptoms, weakness, mood changes/depression, pain, insomnia, rash, sore throat, nausea and vomiting, depression, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fractures*, swelling of arms/legs, and headache.

*Fractures (including fractures of the spine, hip, and wrist) occurred more frequently with ARIMIDEX than with tamoxifen (10% vs 7%).

You should also know that

  • You should speak with your doctor about any bone tests needed to determine your risk for osteoporosis
  • ARIMIDEX should not be taken with tamoxifen or with estrogen-containing therapies
  • Don't stop taking any treatment your doctor has prescribed without talking to him or her first. If side effects cause you discomfort, notify your doctor immediately
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Who should not take ARIMIDEX?

Do not take ARIMIDEX if you

  • Have ever had an allergic reaction to the active ingredient, anastrozole, or to any of the other ingredients in ARIMIDEX Tablets. See the full Prescribing Information for a complete list
  • Are breastfeeding
  • Are a premenopausal woman
  • Are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or plan to get pregnant
  • Are a child or a man (ARIMIDEX has not been approved for use in children or men)
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Is ARIMIDEX a type of cytotoxic chemotherapy?

ARIMIDEX is a hormonal treatment, not a cytotoxic chemotherapy. It works by reducing the amount of estrogen produced by your body. For more details, see how ARIMIDEX works.

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How do I take ARIMIDEX?

Take ARIMIDEX exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

The dosage for ARIMIDEX is one small tablet that you swallow once a day. (Pill shown is not actual size.)

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is less than 12 hours to the next dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next regularly scheduled dose.

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How long should I take ARIMIDEX?

Take ARIMIDEX until your doctor tells you to stop. The early breast cancer clinical trial, called the ATAC breast cancer clinical trial (ARIMIDEX, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination), has found benefits for ARIMIDEX over tamoxifen in lowering the risk of recurrence for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer treated for 5 years.

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What else should I know about ARIMIDEX?

  • Since fractures (including fractures of the spine, hip, and wrist) occurred more frequently with ARIMIDEX than with tamoxifen (10% vs 7%) in the early breast cancer clinical trial, you should speak with your doctor to determine if any special medications or bone tests may be necessary
  • ARIMIDEX should not be taken with tamoxifen or with estrogen-containing therapies
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Important Information About 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.

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
  • 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

Please click here for 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 (1-800-332-1088).