Living With Long-Term Cancer Tablets

Living With Long-Term Cancer Tablets

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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. That makes routine and supply just as important as the medicine itself.

Build a simple routine: take your tablet at the same time each day, keep a pill organiser, and set an alarm. If you miss a dose, follow your leaflet and never take two at once. Methotrexate is different: for arthritis and psoriasis it is taken once a week, not daily.

To read more about day-to-day life on treatment, this practical guide explains what to expect in the first months.

What you may notice: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are common with hormone tablets. Letrozole and anastrozole can reduce bone density, 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 straight away.

Plan your supply. Reorder when you still have two or three weeks of tablets left, so a delay never interrupts treatment. Generic tablets 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 click here more in this article.

This article is for general information only. Always check with your oncology team before making any change.

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