<unk>  is used as an anticonvulsant in the treatment of petit mal epilepsy and as a steroidogenesis inhibitor in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome, postmenopausal breast cancer, and prostate cancer. It is also used to treat secondary hyperaldosteronism, edema, adrenocortical carcinoma, and ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) producing tumors. When used as a steroidogenesis inhibitor to treat breast cancer and prostate cancer,<unk>  is given in combination with hydrocortisone, prednisone, or an equivalent corticosteroid to prevent adrenal insufficiency.<unk>  is a second- or third-line choice in the treatment of hormone-sensitive metastatic breast cancer. While effective in the treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, it is not effective in premenopausal women and is not an effective ovarian steroidogenesis inhibitor, probably because it is not a potent enough aromatase inhibitor. The medication is effective in the treatment of prostate cancer, but its effectiveness is low and inconsistent, likely due to its relatively weak steroidogenesis inhibition and poor pharmacokinetics. Nonetheless,<unk>  was found to be non-significantly different in effectiveness from surgical adrenalectomy in terms of prostate cancer tumor regression. In any case,<unk>  is not recommended as a first-line therapy in prostate cancer, but instead only as a second-line therapy. It has only rarely been used in the treatment of prostate cancer.<unk>  is used for adrenal steroidogenesis inhibition by mouth at a dosage of 250 mg three times per day (750 mg/day total) for the first 3 weeks of therapy and then increased to 250 mg four times per day (1,000 mg/day total) thereafter. It can be used at a dosage of up to 500 mg four times per day (2,000 mg/day). It is used as an aromatase inhibitor to inhibit peripheral estrogen production by mouth at a dosage of 125 mg twice per day (250 mg/day total), without significant suppression of adrenal steroidogenesis at this dosage. Maximal aromatase inhibition is said to occur between dosages of 250 to 500 mg per day. The side effects of<unk>  are less frequent and severe at this dosage. However, they are still less when<unk>  is combined with hydrocortisone, and so<unk>  is generally combined with a corticosteroid even at this lower dosage.<unk>  should only be used under close medical supervision and with laboratory tests including thyroid function, baseline hematological, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin. Ketoconazole can achieve similar decreases in steroid hormone levels as<unk>  but is more effective in promoting tumor regression and is moderately less toxic in comparison.<unk>  can still be a useful alternative in those who have failed or are unable to tolerate ketoconazole and other therapies however. Available forms<unk>  is provided most commonly in the form of 250 mg tablets.
Aminoglutethimide
Vinyltestosterone
Ethinylestradiol sulfonate
Haloprogesterone
Ethinylestradiol
Ethinylestradiol sulfate
Retroprogesterone
Hydroxyprogesterone acetate