00:00 / 00:00
Reproductive system
Estrogens and antiestrogens
0 / 18 complete
0 / 5 complete
0 / 10 complete
of complete
of complete
of complete
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
tamoxifen for p. 450
tamoxifen/raloxifen and p. 449
tamoxifen and p. 450
tamoxifen/raloxifene and p. 449
for breast cancer p. 727
hot flashes with p. 250
Synthetic estrogens are a class of medications that act like natural estrogens and are mainly used for primary hypogonadism, primary amenorrhea, estrogen deficiency, and as contraceptives.
Now, antiestrogens, or estrogen antagonists include full antagonists, which antagonize natural estrogens in all tissues, and selective estrogen receptor modulators, or SERMs, which act as estrogen antagonists in some tissues but also act as estrogen agonists in others.
Full antagonists and SERMs are used for breast cancer, and SERMs are also used for osteoporosis.
But first let’s talk a bit about natural estrogen, which plays a big role in the menstrual cycle.
The hypothalamus, which is part of the brain, secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH, which travels to the nearby pituitary gland and stimulates it to secrete two hormones follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH, and luteinizing hormone, or LH.
FSH and LH make the ovarian follicles, which are scattered throughout the ovaries, develop and secrete the female sex hormones, estrogens and progesterone.
These hormones gradually increase during the first 2 weeks of the cycle, called the follicular phase, but estrogen is the main hormone synthesized during this phase.
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier, its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.