Hormone Blocking Anticancer Drugs

The document from 2015 provides an overview of hormone-blocking anticancer drugs, including estrogen antagonists like tamoxifen and fulvestrant for breast cancer, and androgen antagonists such as flutamide, nilutamide, and bicalutamide for prostate cancer. It also covers aromatase inhibitors such as formestane, exemestane, and nonsteroidal options like letrozole, which are used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Additionally, the document details the synthesis and use of 5α-reductase inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride for benign prostatic hypertrophy and male pattern hair loss, and notes their small but significant reduction in prostate cancer incidence. Advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer treatments like abiraterone and galeterone are also discussed, with galeterone having FDA fast track status. The synthesis of other steroids, including dromostanolone for breast cancer and bolasterone and calusterone for metastatic estrogen receptor-negative carcinoma, is described, emphasizing the chemical processes involved in their production.