Buserelin is a drug in the class known either as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or luteinizing hormone-releasing (LHRH) agonists. ormally LHRH (GnRH) controls the secretion of the sex hormones, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone by the pituitary gland.
LHRH (GnRH) agonists such as buserelin are used to achieve ovarian ablation, which is the stopping of the secretion of sex hormones (e.g., estrogen) by the ovaries as post-surgical treatment for some women with hormone-dependent breast cancer of Stage I and higher. The cessation of the secretion of sex hormones by the ovaries helps to prevent stimulation of the growth of hormone-dependent breast cancer.
Buserelin works by binding to and stimulating receptors for GnRH on the surface of cells of the pituitary gland. When buserelin is administered chronically, the following events occur:
• Production of certain gonadotropin hormones (i.e., hormones that otherwise would stimulate the production of sex hormones) are suppressed
• The levels of gonadotropin levels in the bloodstream are lowered
• The synthesis of certain sex hormones made by the ovaries are suppressed
• The levels of certain sex hormones in the bloodstream are lowered
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