Anastrozole use has been associated with sclerosing glomerulonephritis in a patient with breast cancer. - GreenMedInfo Summary

OBJECTIVE: Anastrozole is a selective aromatase inhibitor and is used for the hormonal treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer. There are major side effects of anastrozole including decrease in both lumbar spine and total hip bone mineral density, increase in the incidence of all bone fractures (especially fractures of spine, hip and wrist), joint disorders and increase in the cholesterol level. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 73-year-old postmenopausal woman with stage T2N0M0 breast cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not indicated and anastrozole hormonotherapy was started. Diagnosis of sclerosing glomerulonephritis occurred in this patient during anastrozole use, suggesting a newly defined side effect of anastrozole. DISCUSSION: Renal elimination is not a significant pathway of elimination for anastrozole, clearance of anastrozole is unchanged even in severe renal impairment. Dosing adjustment in patients with renal dysfunction is not necessary for anastrozole. We believe that the acute renal failure in our patient was associated with anastrozole. Renal injury due to anastrozole has not been published in the English literature. CONCLUSIONS: Anastrozole may be the causative factor in patients with sclerosing glomerulonephritis.