Staying on Track With Daily Cancer Medicines

Staying on Track With Daily Cancer Medicines

Blog Article

A growing number of cancer treatments are now taken by mouth at home. Letrozole, anastrozole and tamoxifen 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, keep a pill organiser, and set an alarm. If you miss a dose, check the patient leaflet and never take two at once. Methotrexate is different: for here arthritis and psoriasis it is taken once a week, not daily.

For more practical tips, this article covers routines, side effects and questions for your oncologist.

Common side effects: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are common with hormone tablets. Aromatase inhibitors can thin the bones, so many people have bone scans and regular check-ups. Tell your care team about 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 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.

More detail is available in this guide.

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

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