Cancer Medicines Explained: Hormonal Therapy and Targeted Treatment Options
A cancer diagnosis changes almost everything about a family's daily life, and one of the most stressful parts is often the practical side: understanding what the prescribed medicines actually do, and finding a reliable, genuine source for drugs that are expensive, sensitive to storage conditions, and frequently counterfeited in the local market. This guide explains, in plain language, the main categories of cancer medicines available through our Cancer medicines category, so patients and caregivers have a clearer starting point for the conversation with their oncologist.
This article is educational only. It does not recommend any medicine for any individual, does not suggest doses, and is not a substitute for your oncologist's treatment plan. Every medicine named below is prescription-only and must only be used under the direct supervision of a treating cancer specialist.
Hormonal therapy: letrozole and tamoxifen
A large share of breast cancers are "hormone-receptor-positive," meaning the tumour grows in response to oestrogen. Hormonal (endocrine) therapy works by cutting off that supply rather than attacking cells directly, which is why it's often used for months or years as part of a longer-term treatment plan.
Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor, available in our catalogue as Femara, Letocor, Retzole, Aromek, and Lezra (all 2.5mg tablets). It works by blocking the enzyme that produces oestrogen in the body, and is typically prescribed for post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.
Tamoxifen, available as Nolvadex 10mg, works differently — it blocks oestrogen receptors on the cancer cell itself rather than reducing oestrogen production, which is why it's commonly used regardless of menopausal status. Your oncologist decides between the two, and sometimes between different phases of treatment, based on your specific pathology report.
Targeted therapy: kinase inhibitors
Targeted therapies are a newer generation of cancer medicine that aim at a specific molecular fault driving a particular cancer, rather than affecting all rapidly dividing cells the way traditional chemotherapy does. This generally means a different, more specific side-effect profile, but it also means the medicine only works when the tumour actually carries the target it's designed for — which is why these are prescribed after genetic or molecular testing, not on symptoms alone.
Imatinib (Glivec, available in 100mg and 400mg) was one of the first targeted cancer therapies and remains a standard treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and certain gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), working by blocking a specific abnormal protein that drives those cancers to grow.
Nilotinib (Tasigna, available in 150mg and 200mg) is used for CML, often for patients who need an alternative to imatinib, and works on the same underlying target through a more potent, more selective mechanism.
Ruxolitinib (Jakavi, available in 5mg and 15mg) is a JAK-inhibitor used mainly for myelofibrosis and polycythaemia vera — blood disorders that sit alongside classic cancers in oncology practice — and works by calming an overactive signalling pathway inside abnormal blood-forming cells.
Other targeted agents: CDK4/6 and mTOR inhibitors
Ribociclib (Kisqali 200mg) is a CDK4/6 inhibitor, usually combined with hormonal therapy for advanced hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, working by blocking proteins that cancer cells need to divide.
Everolimus (Afinitor 10mg) is an mTOR inhibitor used across several cancer types, including certain breast cancers and neuroendocrine tumours, working by interrupting a growth-signalling pathway that many tumours depend on.
Both are typically part of a combination regimen decided by an oncologist based on tumour type, prior treatment, and test results — never used as a first, stand-alone choice.
Why sourcing matters more for oncology medicines
Cancer medicines are among the most counterfeited and diverted drug categories worldwide, precisely because they are expensive and in constant demand. For a patient already managing a serious illness, receiving a substandard or fake dose is a risk no one should have to worry about on top of everything else. Every oncology medicine listed in our Cancer collection is sourced directly from licensed manufacturers or their authorised distributors, handled under proper storage conditions, and dispensed against a valid prescription — the same standard we apply across the pharmacy, but one that matters most here.
Talk to your oncologist first
Nothing in this article is intended to help anyone choose or switch a cancer medicine on their own. Treatment decisions in oncology depend on biopsy results, genetic markers, cancer stage, prior treatment response, and overall health — all of which only your treating oncologist can properly weigh. If you or a family member has been prescribed any of the medicines above, please continue following your oncologist's exact instructions, and speak to them (or a licensed pharmacist) before making any change, and immediately if you notice any new or worsening symptoms.
You can browse genuine, prescription-verified oncology medicines, including all the medicines named in this article, in our Cancer medicines category.
