Drostanolone propionate, or dromostanolone propionate, sold under the brand names Drolban, Masteril, and Masteron among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which was used to treat breast cancer in women but is now no longer marketed.[1][2] It is given by injection into muscle.[1]
Drostanolone propionate was first described in 1959 and was introduced for medical use in 1961.[1][4][5] In addition to its medical use, drostanolone propionate is used to improve physique and performance.[1] The drug is a controlled substance in many countries and so non-medical use is generally illicit.[1][6]
Medical uses
The principal clinical indication of drostanolone propionate in the United States as well as international markets was the treatment of advanced inoperable breast cancer in women.[1]
Hormonal treatment is part of the complex therapy for some kind of tumors, particularly the ones associated with hormone-active tissues like breast or prostate cancer. Some types of breast cancer cells, expressing estrogen receptors (called ER+ cancers), use estrogen for their growth and dissemination. That is why drugs that block estrogen receptors or decrease their expression on the cell membrane, antiestrogens, could limit the tumor spread and size. Drostanolone propionate has been FDA approved[7] as an antiestrogenic drug for the treatment of breast cancer. By the time of its release, there were not many alternatives for patients with breast cancer and drostanolone propionate was a revolution for these patients. As it has lower androgenic rate compared to testosterone, the risk of virilization is much lighter. Due to this fact, women, who usually do not respond well to any AAS, were having much greater chance to survive cancer. Drostanolone propionate can also be used for breast tumors that do not respond well to other treatments or also as palliative care for advanced incurable tumors. The effects of the product depend of course on the dose and period of administration. The risk of virilization becomes greater with high doses and continuous administration period.
Drostanolone propionate is not active via the oral route and must be administered via intramuscular injection.[1] The elimination half-life of the drug via this route is approximately 2 days.[1] It has a much longer elimination half-life via intramuscular injection than drostanolone.[1] Drostanolone propionate is metabolized into drostanolone, which is the active form.[1]
Drostanolone and drostanolone propionate were first described in 1959.[1][4] The related AAS oxymetholone and methasterone (methyldrostanolone) were first described in the same paper as well.[1] Drostanolone propionate was introduced for medical use in the United States in 1961 and in Europe shortly thereafter.[5]
Society and culture
Generic names
Drostanolone propionate is the generic name of the drug and its BANMTooltip British Approved Name, while dromostanolone propionate is the USANTooltip United States Adopted Name and USPTooltip United States Pharmacopeia; there is no INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name for this form.[11][12][13] The generic name of the unesterified form of the drug is drostanolone or dromostanolone and the former is its INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name, BANTooltip British Approved Name, and DCFTooltip Dénomination Commune Française while there is no USANTooltip United States Adopted Name.[11][12][13][2]
Brand names
Drostanolone propionate was marketed under a variety of brand names including Drolban, Masterid, Masteril, Masteron, Masterone, Mastisol, Metormon, Permastril, and Prometholone.[11][12][1]
^ abRingold HJ, Batres E, Halpern O, Necoechea E (1959). "Steroids. CV.12-Methyl and 2-Hydroxymethylene-androstane Derivatives". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 81 (2): 427–432. doi:10.1021/ja01511a040. ISSN0002-7863.
