Anastrozole-Induced Liver Injury: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Published Case Reports
- 1Department of Infection Control, Xiangtan Central Hospital (The Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University), Xiangtan, 411100, People’s Republic of China
- 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xiangtan Central Hospital (The Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University), Xiangtan, 411100, People’s Republic of China
Abstract
Anastrozole, a first-line adjuvant treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, is generally well-tolerated but has been rarely associated with idiosyncratic liver injury. This brief report pooled and retrospectively analyzed 11 published case reports from PubMed and Web of Science. All identified patients were female, with a mean age of 70, suggesting that most reported cases were elderly white women. The latency period from drug initiation to injury was highly variable, ranging from days to years. Laboratory findings primarily indicated a hepatocellular pattern of injury, and most patients had no significant imaging abnormalities. Critically, discontinuation of anastrozole was the cornerstone of management, leading to recovery in 90% of cases, although one fatal outcome was reported. This analysis underscores that while rare, anastrozole-induced liver injury can be severe. Clinicians should be aware of this potential toxicity, monitor liver function appropriately, and discontinue the drug promptly if injury is suspected. Unfortunately, these findings are limited by the small sample size and publication bias inherent to case-report-based analyses. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and risk factors.
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BibTeX
@article{tang2026anastrozoleinduced,
title = {{Anastrozole-Induced Liver Injury: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Published Case Reports}},
author = {Wen-rui Tang and Ke qian Chen},
journal = {Breast Cancer : Targets and Therapy},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2147/bctt.s634358},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2147/bctt.s634358},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Anastrozole-Induced Liver Injury: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Published Case Reports
AU - Wen-rui Tang
AU - Ke qian Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Breast Cancer : Targets and Therapy
DO - 10.2147/bctt.s634358
UR - https://doi.org/10.2147/bctt.s634358
AB - Anastrozole, a first-line adjuvant treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, is generally well-tolerated but has been rarely associated with idiosyncratic liver injury. This brief report pooled and retrospectively analyzed 11 published case reports from PubMed and Web of Science. All identified patients were female, with a mean age of 70, suggesting that most reported cases were elderly white women. The latency period from drug initiation to injury was highly variable, ranging from days to years. Laboratory findings primarily indicated a hepatocellular pattern of injury, and most patients had no significant imaging abnormalities. Critically, discontinuation of anastrozole was the cornerstone of management, leading to recovery in 90% of cases, although one fatal outcome was reported. This analysis underscores that while rare, anastrozole-induced liver injury can be severe. Clinicians should be aware of this potential toxicity, monitor liver function appropriately, and discontinue the drug promptly if injury is suspected. Unfortunately, these findings are limited by the small sample size and publication bias inherent to case-report-based analyses. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and risk factors.
SN - 1179-1314
ER -