Drostanolone
Drostanolone is a synthetic anabolic steroid that was once used to treat advanced breast cancer in some postmenopausal women. It is no longer an approved medicine in the UK, US or EU.
Reference information, not medical advice. Enhanced Training Studio doesn't sell, supply or recommend any substance. Doses are left out on purpose: only a prescriber can set one. How this library is written.
What it is
Drostanolone is a synthetic anabolic–androgenic steroid. As drostanolone propionate (also spelled dromostanolone propionate), it was used in the past as an injected cancer treatment for some women with advanced breast cancer [1]. In the US, the approval for the brand Masterone was withdrawn in 1997 [2]. It is not among the anabolic steroids currently prescribed in the US [3]. It is a Schedule III controlled substance in the US and a Class C drug in the UK [4, 5].
How it works
Drostanolone acts on the androgen receptor, like testosterone. Chemically it is a modified form of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with an added methyl group [4]. Its use in breast cancer relied on its hormonal action in women whose tumours responded to androgens [1].
Approved medical uses
None in people today.
In the past, drostanolone propionate was used for the palliative treatment of advanced, inoperable breast cancer that had spread, in certain postmenopausal women [1]. The US approval for Masterone (Hoffmann-La Roche) was withdrawn by the FDA, effective February 1997 [2].
What the research shows
- Old cancer data only. The human clinical evidence comes from its historical use in advanced breast cancer [1]. There are no modern clinical trials.
- No other medical use. Its only recorded medical use was in breast cancer [1].
- Non-medical use. Most current human information comes from people using anabolic steroids outside medical care, usually several at once and at supraphysiological doses. These studies are observational, and harms are hard to link to any single drug [6].
- Risks of the class. Non-medical anabolic steroid use is linked to an increased risk of death and to heart, mental health, hormonal, liver and kidney problems [6].
Known risks and side effects
Specific data on drostanolone are scarce. The risks below are those reported for anabolic steroids as a class.
- Effects in women: facial and body hair growth, a deepened voice, reduced breast size and enlargement of the clitoris. Some changes may be permanent [7].
- Effects in men: reduced sperm count, infertility, shrunken testicles, erectile dysfunction, hair loss and breast development [7].
- Heart and blood vessels: heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and deep vein thrombosis [7]; cardiovascular disease and increased risk of death with non-medical use [6].
- Liver and kidneys: liver or kidney problems, including failure [7].
- Mental health: aggression, mood swings and paranoia; dependence, with depression, anxiety and insomnia on stopping [7].
- Infections: hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV from shared needles [7].
- Sport: drostanolone is prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List [8].
Blood tests commonly monitored
There are no current official monitoring guidelines for drostanolone, because it is no longer an approved medicine. For testosterone, the closest approved medicine in this class, the Endocrine Society guideline recommends monitoring [9]:
- Testosterone level during treatment [9].
- Haematocrit (the proportion of red blood cells), with treatment withheld if it rises above 54% [9].
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen) in men, with urology referral for a confirmed rise [9].
Anabolic steroids can also cause liver injury, which can show up as raised liver enzymes or cholestasis (a build-up of bile) [10]. Anyone who has used drostanolone should talk to a doctor about appropriate tests.
If you and your doctor are monitoring treatment, Enhanced Training Studio keeps a private log on your phone: what you take and when, your blood test results over time, and how you feel. How tracking works.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute. Dromostanolone Propionate. SEER*Rx Interactive Antineoplastic Drugs Database, accessed 2026. SEER*Rx
- US Food and Drug Administration. Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc., et al.; Withdrawal of Approval of 11 New Drug Applications, 1 Abbreviated Antibiotic Application, and 20 Abbreviated New Drug Applications. Federal Register, 1997. Federal Register
- US Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. Anabolic Steroids (drug and chemical information). DEA, 2025. DEA
- US Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 1308.13, Schedule III. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, accessed 2026. LII
- Home Office. List of most commonly encountered drugs currently controlled under the misuse of drugs legislation. GOV.UK, 2025. GOV.UK
- Pope HG Jr, Wood RI, Rogol A, Nyberg F, Bowers L, Bhasin S. Adverse health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocrine Reviews, 2014. Endocrine Society
- NHS. Anabolic steroid misuse. NHS website, 2026. NHS
- World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. WADA, 2025. WADA
- Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2018. Endocrine Society
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Androgenic Steroids. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, NCBI Bookshelf, 2020. LiverTox
Related
Last reviewed 7 October 2026. General information, not medical advice. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].