Flutamide chemical structure
Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Flutamide

Flutamide is an oral antiandrogen drug primarily used to treat prostate cancer. It competes with testosterone and its powerful metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for binding to androgen receptors in the prostate gland. By doing so, it prevents them from stimulating the prostate cancer cells to grow. Flutamide has been largely replaced by a newer member of this class, bicalutamide, due to a better side-effect profile. Flutamide may also be used to treat excess androgen levels in women. It is marketed under the brand name Eulexin. more...

Home
Diseases
Medicines
A
B
C
D
E
F
Captagon
Famohexal
Famotidine
Faslodex
Faslodex
Fasoracetam
Felbamate
Felbatol
Felodipine
Felypressin
Femara
Femara
Fempatch
Femring
Fenfluramine
Fenofibrate
Fentanyl
Fexofenadine
Filgrastim
Filipin
Finasteride
Fioricet
Fiorinal
Flagyl
Flarex
Flavoxate
Flecainide
Flexeril
Flomax
Flonase
Flovent
Floxuridine
Fluacizine
Flucloxacillin
Fluconazole
Flucytosine
Fludarabine
Fludrocortisone
Flumazenil
Flunisolide
Flunitrazepam
Fluocinonide
Fluohexal
Fluorometholone
Fluorouracil
Fluoxetine
Fluphenazine
Flurazepam
Flutamide
Fluticasone
Fluvastatin
Fluvoxamine
FML
Focalin
Folic acid
Follutein
Fomepizole
Formoterol
Fortamet
Fortovase
Fosamax
Fosinopril
Fosinoprilat
Fosmidomycin
Fosphenytoin
Frova
Frovatriptan
Frusehexal
Fulvestrant
Fumagillin
Furazolidone
Furosemide
Furoxone
Fusafungine
Fusidic acid
Fuzeon
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Structure

Unlike the hormones with which it competes, flutamide is not a steroid; rather, it is a substituted anilide. After absorption, the molecule is quickly α-hydroxylated to its primary active form, hydroxyflutamide. Flutamide is excreted in various forms in the urine, the primary form being 2-amino-5-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl) phenol.

Use in prostate cancer

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is released by the hypothalamus in a pulsatile fashion; this causes the anterior pituitary to release leutinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). LH stimulates the testes to produce testosterone, which is metabolized to DHT by the enzyme 5α-reductase. DHT, and to a much smaller extent, testosterone, stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. Therefore, blocking these androgens can provide powerful treatment for prostate cancer, especially metastatic disease. Normally administered are analogues of GnRH, such as leuprolide or goserilin. Although they stimulate the same receptors that GnRH does, since they are present continuously and not in a pulsatile manner, they serve to inhibit the pituitary and therefore block the whole chain. However, they initially cause a surge in activity; this is not solely a theoretical risk but may cause the cancer to flare. Flutamide was initially used at the beginning of GnRH-analogue therapy to block this surge, and it and other nonsteroidal anti-androgens continue in this use.

There have been studies to investigate the benefit of adding an anti-androgen to surgical orchiectomy or its continued use with a GnRH analogue (combined androgen blockade, CAB). Adding anti-androgens to orchiectomy showed no benefit, while a small benefit was shown with adding anti-androgens to GnRH.

Unfortunately, therapies which lower testosterone levels, such as orchiectomy or GnRH-analogue administration, also have signficant side effects. Compared to these therapies, treatment with antiandrogens exhibits "fewer hot flashes, less of an effect on libido, less muscle wasting, fewer personality changes, and less bone loss." However, antiandrogen therapy alone is less effective than surgery. Nevertheless, given the advanced age of many with prostate cancer, as well as other features, many men may choose antiandrogen therapy alone for a better quality of life.

Side effects

In addition to the effects previously mentioned, flutamide may also induce gynecomastia. Tamoxifen can partially counteract this effect. Some patients experience mild liver injury, which resolves when the drug is discontinued. It may also cause gastrointestinal side effects; one reason bicalutamide is replacing flutamide is that it appears to exhibits these to a lesser degree.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]



Effect of flutamide on survival in patients with pancreatic cancer: results of a prospective, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial
Objectives: To assess whether flutamide (Drogenil), a pure androgen receptor blocking agent, improves survival in patients with pancreatic carcinoma and ...
Flutamide or thalidomide?
VERBAL CHEMO ORDERS A pharmacist received a telephone order from an oncologist to start a patient on what he heard as "thalidomide" therapy. Because prescribers ...
Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Is Adding Flutamide Beneficial?
Prostate cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm in the United States. The median survival rate in men with metastatic disease ranges ...
photochemistry of flutamide and its inclusion complex with (Beta-cyclodextrin. Dramatic effect of the microenvironment on the nature and on the efficiency
The Photochemistry of Flutamide and its Inclusion Complex with P-Cyclodextrin. Dramatic Effect of the Microenvironment on the Nature and on the Efficiency ...
Perinatal exposure to low levels of the environmental antiandrogen vinclozolin alters sex-differentiated social play and sexual behaviors in the rat
In this study we examined the effects of exposure to the antiandrogenic fungicide vindozolin (Vz) on the development of two sex-differentiated behaviors ...
Treatments for acne vulgaris based on severity
Nondermatologists often manage acne vulgaris. Treatments depend on severity, which can be influenced by genetics, stress, and, possibly, diet. Haider ...
In the best health: what four individuals learned about visiting their doctor's, asking questions, and getting a second opinion
Managing your health involves more than just schedulings a yearly physical. It requires doing research, knowing your family, history and keeping up with new test a and screenings for your age and r
Phytotherapy for polycystic ovarian syndrome
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is a common gynecological disorder characterized by hypergonadotrophism, ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay