Living With Long-Term Cancer Tablets

Living With Long-Term Cancer Tablets

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Several common cancer medicines are now daily tablets. Tamoxifen, letrozole and anastrozole are often taken for five years or more after breast cancer, and generic imatinib is taken every day for chronic myeloid leukaemia. Keeping a steady routine matters as much as the tablet.

Make it a habit: take your tablet at the same time each day, use a weekly pill box, and set a phone reminder. If you miss a dose, check the patient leaflet and never take two at once. Weekly methotrexate is the exception: for arthritis and psoriasis it is taken once a week, not daily.

To read more about day-to-day life on treatment, read the full guide here covers routines, side effects and questions for your oncologist.

What you may notice: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are read more common with hormone tablets. Letrozole and anastrozole can reduce bone density, so many people have bone scans and advice on calcium and vitamin D. Report chest pain, sudden breathlessness, leg swelling or unusual bleeding promptly.

Order ahead. Reorder when you still have two or three weeks of tablets left, so a delay never causes a gap. Generic tablets contain the same active ingredient as the brands and can make long-term treatment more affordable. A valid prescription is required for every order of a prescription medicine.

There is more information here.

This is general information, not medical advice. Always check with your oncology team before making any change.

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