Practical Tips for Long-Term Hormone Therapy

Many cancer treatments are now taken by mouth at home. 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.

Make it a habit: take your tablet at the same time each day, keep a pill organiser, and set a phone reminder. If you miss a dose, check the patient leaflet and never take two at once. Methotrexate is different: for arthritis and psoriasis it is taken once a week, not daily.

For more practical tips, this practical 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. Aromatase inhibitors can thin the bones, 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 causes a gap. Generic versions contain the same active ingredient generic imatinib as the brands and can make long-term treatment more affordable. A valid prescription is required for every order of a prescription medicine.

More detail is available on this page.

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