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

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

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A growing number of cancer treatments are now daily tablets. 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 anastrozole vs letrozole the tablet.

Small habits help: 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.

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. Letrozole and anastrozole can thin the bones, so many people have bone scans and advice on calcium and vitamin D. Report 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 causes a gap. 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 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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