Staying on Track With Daily Cancer Medicines

Staying on Track With Daily Cancer Medicines

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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 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 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, this practical guide covers routines, side effects and questions for your oncologist.

Common side effects: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are common with hormone tablets. Letrozole and anastrozole can thin the bones, read more so many people have bone scans and regular check-ups. Report chest pain, sudden breathlessness, leg swelling or unusual bleeding straight away.

Order ahead. Reorder when you still have two or three weeks of tablets 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 guide.

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

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