Orange County, CA - December 28th, 2018 - A new study reveals that Letrozole has side-effects, including mood disturbances and memory issues, that impact the brain function in both humans and animals.
Letrozole is a medication that is used to treat early breast cancer in women who have experienced menopause, and who have had other treatments such as radiation, or surgery to remove the tumor. The drug is in a class of medications called nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of estrogen produced by the body, which can slow or stop the growth of some types of breast cancer cells that need estrogen to grow.
Researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada administered letrozole to male and female marmosets (non-human primates) for four weeks. During the four weeks, the primate models experienced behavioral changes including hot flashes and increased anxiety, experienced by women receiving similar treatment.
Additionally, letrozole also compromised the function of neurons in the hippocampus (an organ located in the brain) and impaired spatial memory, results revealed, published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
The results emphasize the importance of further research on breast cancer treatments, and their effects on the brain.
