Background and development of aromatase inhibitors.- Aromatase inhibitors and models for breast cancer.- Clinical pharmacology of aromatase inhibitors.- Clinical studies with exemestane.- Clinical studies with letrozole.- Clinical studies with anastrozole.- The third-generation aromatase inhibitors: a clinical overview.- Lessons from the ArKO mouse.- Possible additional therapeutic uses of aromatase inhibitors

This book provides the first comprehensive overview on the different aromatase inhibitors. Whereas the first aromatase inhibitors to be used therapeutically could be shown to produce drug-induced inhibition of the enzyme and therapeutic benefits in patients with breast cancer, they were not very potent and lacked specificity. However, second-generation drugs were developed and most recently third-generation inhibitors have evolved which possess remarkable specificity and potency.