Anastrazole and oral contraceptives: a novel treatment for endometriosis

Amsterdam LL, Lisa L Amsterdam, William L. Gentry, Gentry W, William Gentry, Jobanputra S, Smeta Jobanputra, Wolf M, Michael Wolf, Stephen D Rubin, Rubin SD, Serdar E Bulun, Bulun SE
Fertility and sterility · 2005 · vol. 84(2) , pp. 300–304 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.02.018 · PMID:16084868 · W2154048255
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 163 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-06 ⓘ

This paper explores the combined use of anastrozole and oral contraceptives as a potential novel treatment for endometriosis.

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Abstract

ObjectiveTo establish the use of aromatase inhibitors as a therapeutic option for endometriosis.DesignProspective open-label Food and Drug Administration phase 2 trial with Institutional Review Board approval.SettingOutpatient tertiary care centers.Patient(s)Fifteen premenopausal patients with documented refractory endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain.Intervention(s)After a 1-month washout of endometriosis hormone therapies, women took 1 mg anastrazole (Arimidex; AstraZeneca, Wilmington, DE) and one tablet of 20 microg ethinyl estradiol/0.1 mg levonorgestrel (Alesse; Wyeth, Madison, NJ) daily for 6 months.Main outcome measure(s)An analog pain scale recorded pelvic pain in daily diaries and surveys at baseline and after each treatment month. Side effects, blood counts, liver and renal function tests, cholesterol levels, and bone density were monitored.Result(s)Fourteen of 15 patients achieved significant pain reduction. Median pain scores decreased 55% after 6 months, while mean pain scores decreased 40%. Pain reduction comparing each treatment month to baseline achieved statistical significance. Average pain scores began dropping after only 1 treatment month and continued decreasing each additional month. No organ system experienced adverse effects. Estradiol levels were suppressed during treatment. Side effects were mild and improved over time.Conclusion(s)Fourteen of 15 patients with refractory endometriosis achieved significant pain relief using anastrazole and 20 microg ethinyl estradiol/0.1 mg levonorgestrel with minimal side effects. This treatment for endometriosis is a promising new modality that warrants further investigation.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Contraceptives, Oral Endometriosis Nitriles Triazoles Adult Anastrozole Contraceptives, Oral Drug Therapy, Combination Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Middle Aged Nitriles Pain Measurement Pain Measurement Pain Measurement Pelvic Pain Pelvic Pain Pelvic Pain

Citation neighborhood

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References (15)

Cited by (50)

Source provenance

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