A Patient's Guide to Long-Term Oral Cancer Treatment

A Patient's Guide to Long-Term Oral Cancer Treatment

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Many cancer treatments 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.

Build a simple routine: take your tablet at the same time each day, use a weekly pill box, and set a phone reminder. If you miss a dose, follow your 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, see this patient-friendly guide covers routines, side effects and questions for your oncologist.

What you may notice: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are common with hormone tablets. Letrozole and anastrozole can thin the bones, so many people have bone scans and advice on calcium and vitamin D. Tell your care team about chest pain, sudden breathlessness, leg swelling or unusual bleeding promptly.

Never run out. Reorder when you still have two or three weeks of tablets get more info left, so a delay never interrupts treatment. Generic versions contain the same active ingredient as the brands and usually cost far less. A valid prescription is required for every order of a prescription medicine.

You can read more in this article.

This article is for general information only. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any medicine.

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