Cancer drugs A to Z list
This page is about goserelin for breast cancer in women who haven’t gone through the .
Goserelin is also a treatment for prostate cancer and is sometimes used to treat men with breast cancer. We have a separate page about goserelin for men. This is because the side effects can be different.
Go to our information about goserelin for prostate cancer
Goserelin is a type of hormone treatment. You pronounce it as gohs-eer-lin. It is also called Zoladex.
Goserelin is a type of hormone therapy called a . This means it stops the release of luteinising hormone (LH) from the . Hormones are natural substances made by glands in our bodies.
Blocking LH stops the ovaries from making . So you only have this treatment if you haven’t had your menopause. After menopause the ovaries don’t produce oestrogen, so this type of drug won’t work.
Goserelin is a treatment for people who have (ER positive) breast cancer. This means that the cancer has proteins (receptors) for the hormone oestrogen.
Find out more about breast cancer
You have goserelin as an injection just under the skin of your tummy (abdomen). It is called a depot injection, which means that the drug is slowly absorbed into your body over a period of time.
You might have stinging or a dull ache for a short time after this type of injection but they don't usually hurt much. The skin in the area may go red and itchy for a while.
You can have goserelin every 4 weeks or 12 weeks. The period of time between each depot injection must be the same. Your team will tell you how often you should have it.
Let your doctor or nurse know if your next appointment isn’t either 4 weeks or 12 weeks depending on how often you are having goserelin.
You usually have goserelin injections for a long period of time.
You might have blood tests before starting treatment and during your treatment. They check your general health and might check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood.
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatment you are having.
Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you closely during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects, but you might have some of them at the same time.
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
You may have hot flushes and sweat a lot. We have some tips for coping with hot flushes in women. We also explain some of the possible treatments. Talk to your doctor if your hot flushes are hard to cope with. They might be able to prescribe you some medicines or suggest supportive therapies or lifestyle changes that may help.
Talk to your doctor if you have this. You might be able to have some treatments to help with low sex drive.
This can continue for some time after you stop having goserelin.
Tell your nurse if you notice any signs of redness, pain or irritation around the injection site.
You might notice skin changes, such as dryness, itching and rashes similar to acne on your face, neck and trunk. Tell your doctor if you have any rashes or itching. Don't go swimming if you have a rash because the chlorine in the water can make it worse.
If your skin gets dry or itchy, using unperfumed moisturising cream may help. Check with your doctor or nurse before using any creams or lotions. Wear a high factor sun block if you’re going out in the sun.
This drug can cause vaginal dryness. You can get vaginal moisturisers (lubricants) from your nurse or from the pharmacist.
You might notice small changes in your breast size. They usually return to normal once you stop treatment.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
tingling in your fingers or toes
hair thinning or loss of body hair
weight gain
joint pain
changes in blood pressure. This could be high blood pressure or low blood pressure
changes in your mood, including feeling depressed
headache
worsening of symptoms, this usually doesn’t last long and will go away by itself
thinning of your bones
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
an allergic reaction that can cause a rash, shortness of breath, redness or swelling of the face and dizziness. Some allergic reactions can be life threatening, tell your healthcare team if notice any of these symptoms.
development of a pituitary tumour, this is very rare
small cysts in your ovaries which can cause pain and usually disappear by themselves
an , this means your periods won’t start again when treatment stops
seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren’t there. Always let your healthcare team know if this happens.
high levels of calcium in your body
There isn't enough information to work out how often these side effects might happen. You might have one or more of them. They include:
a blood clot in the lung causing shortness of breath, chest pain or both. Tell your healthcare team if you have these symptoms
bone pain
changes to how the liver works which might include yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
inflammation of the lungs causing shortness of breath, a cough or both
a drop in the number of blood cells
problems with your memory
vaginal bleeding (withdrawal bleeding)
changes to the way your heart works
high blood sugar levels
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We do not list these interactions on this page. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
This drug may harm a baby developing in the womb. Let your healthcare team know before you start treatment if there is any possibility that you may be pregnant. It is important not to become pregnant while you are having treatment and for a few months afterwards. Goserelin is not a contraceptive and, even if your periods have stopped, you could become pregnant while you are having treatment.
It is important to use reliable contraception, such as a condom or cap (diaphragm), throughout the treatment. Don't take the pill (oral contraceptive).
Before starting treatment, talk to your healthcare team about effective contraception.
Don’t breastfeed during this treatment because the drug may come through into your breast milk.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 09 Sept 2026
Next review due: 09 Sept 2029
Find out about breast cancer, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, survival, and how to cope with the effects on your life and relationships.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
Goserelin (Zoladex) is a type of hormone therapy. This page is about goserelin for prostate cancer.
Hormone therapy blocks or lowers the amount of hormones in the body to stop or slow down the growth of cancer.
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