American Cancer Society ®
back  back | close  close
 
androgens, methyltestosterone, testosterone enanthenate, fluoxymesterone androgens, methyltestosterone, testosterone enanthenate, fluoxymesterone

 
  Trade/other name(s)
Android, Androxy, Delatestryl, Halotestin 		 
  Pronunciation: an-druh-jens, meth-ull-tes-TOSS-ter-own, tes-toss-ter-own en-an-thin-ate, flew-oks-ee-MESS-tuh-rohn  
  Why would this drug be used?
Androgens belong to the group of drugs known as hormones or hormone antagonists. They are used to treat several types of cancer that are sensitive to hormones, including breast cancer in women. 		 
  How does this drug work?
Androgens seem to change the hormonal environment in the cancer cell. For certain cancers, this takes away what makes them grow, and the cancer cell does not divide. The exact mechanism is still unknown. 		 
  Before taking this medicine

Tell your doctor: 		 
 
  • If you are allergic to anything, including medicines, dyes, additives, or foods.
  • If you have any medical conditions such as kidney disease, liver disease (including hepatitis), heart disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, gout, or infections. These conditions may require that your medicine dose, regimen, or timing be changed.
  • If you have an enlarged prostate. Androgens may worsen this condition.
  • If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or if there is any chance of pregnancy. This drug may cause birth defects if either the male or female is taking it at the time of conception or during pregnancy. Men and women who are taking this drug need to use some kind of birth control. It is important to check with your doctor about what kinds of birth control can be used with this medicine.
  • If you are breast-feeding. It is not known if this drug passes into breast milk. If it does, it could harm the baby.
  • If you think you might want to have children in the future. This drug may reduce fertility. Talk with your doctor about the possible risk with this drug and the options that may preserve your ability to have children.
  • If you have diabetes. This drug may affect blood sugar levels. You and your doctor will need to watch your sugar levels closely while you are getting this drug.
  • About any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are taking, including vitamins and herbs. In fact, keeping a written list of each of these medicines (including the doses of each and when you take them) with you in case of emergency may help prevent complications if you get sick.
  
  Interactions with other drugs
Androgens may cause anticoagulants (blood thinners) to be act more strongly. This can lead to bleeding problems in some. Your doctor may want to check your blood more often if you take blood thinners.

If you take insulin for diabetes, your blood sugar levels and insulin requirements may change.

Corticosteroids such as prednisone and dexamethasone can increase the risk of retaining fluids and swelling. This is more of a problem for people with heart or liver disease.

Check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about other medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements, and whether alcohol can cause problems with this medicine.

 
  Interactions with foods
No serious interactions with food are known at this time. Check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about whether foods may be a problem. 		 
 
Tell all the doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists you visit that you are taking this drug.

  
  How is this drug taken or given?
Androgens for breast cancer treatment can be given as pills by mouth or by an injection in the muscle. Depending on your diagnosis and the type of androgen you take, you may take pills once a day or as often as 4 times a day. Injections may be given as often as 3 times a week, or as infrequently as every 4 weeks. Your doctor will decide the type of androgen, dose, and frequency.

Take this drug exactly as your doctor tells you to. If you do not understand the instructions, your doctor or nurse can explain them to you.

Keep the medicine in a tightly closed container and away from children and pets.

 
  Precautions
Androgens may make you retain salt and water. To keep this from happening, your doctor may prescribe a diuretic ("water pill"). Tell your doctor or nurse if you gain weight or notice your feet or ankles swelling.

Increased blood calcium may occur when you start the drug if you have cancer in the bones or are bedridden. Your doctor will watch your blood calcium levels. Tell your doctor or nurse if you start becoming drowsy, confused, thirsty, constipated, and have to pass urine frequently. Keep all your appointments for blood tests.

Women receiving androgens will notice their voice getting deeper over time. If you take the drug for more than 3 months, you may also notice more body hair, acne, and an enlarging clitoris. Though these symptoms often go away after the drug is stopped, they can become permanent if you keep taking the drug. Talk to your doctor or nurse about this.

Androgens may cause liver problems, and rarely have even caused tumors or liver cancer if taken for a long time. Let your doctor or nurse know right away if you have belly (abdominal) pain or yellowing of skin or eyes.

 
 
Possible side effects
  
  Common
  • fluid retention*
  • deepening of voice in women *
  • increased body hair and acne in women*
  • increased size of clitoris*
  • stopping of menstrual periods in women
  • reduced sperm production in men
  
  Less common
  • increased blood calcium level*
  • nausea
  • increased appetite
  • older men may have trouble urinating due to prostate enlargement
  • breast enlargement and tenderness in men
  • testicles may shrink
  
  Rare
  • painful, prolonged, or frequent erections in men
  • liver problems, including tumors or cancers*
  • severe allergic reactions with skin welts, rash, trouble breathing, dizziness

*See "Precautions" section for more detailed information.

 
 
There are other side effects not listed above that can also occur in some patients. Tell your doctor or nurse if you develop these or any other problems.
  
 
 
  FDA approval
Yes - the first of these drugs were approved before 1984 (FDA cannot verify dates of drugs approved before 1984). 		 
 
 
  Disclaimer: This information does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for talking with your doctor, who is familiar with your medical needs.  


back  back | close  close