Exemestane (Exe)

Exemestane is a member of the class of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors. Some breast cancers require estrogen to grow. Those cancers have estrogen receptors (ERs), and are called ER-positive. They may also be called estrogen-responsive, hormonally-responsive, or hormone-receptor-positive. Aromatase is an enzyme that synthesizes estrogen. Aromatase inhibitors block the synthesis of estrogen. This lowers the estrogen level, and slows the growth of cancers. Exemestane is an oral steroidal aromatase inhibitor that is used in ER-positive breast cancer in addition to surgery and/or radiation in post-menopausal women.The main source of estrogen is the ovaries in premenopausal women, while in post-menopausal women most of the body's estrogen is produced via the conversion of androgens into estrogen by the aromatase enzyme in the peripheral tissues and a number of sites in the brain.