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, use a weekly pill box, and set an alarm. 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.
To read more about day-to-day life on treatment, this practical guide explains what to expect in the first months.
Side effects to watch: hot flushes, joint stiffness and tiredness are common with hormone tablets. Aromatase inhibitors can reduce bone density, so many people have check here bone scans and advice on calcium and vitamin D. Report chest pain, sudden breathlessness, leg swelling or unusual bleeding promptly.
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 more in this guide.
This is general information, not medical advice. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any medicine.