Cancer

Common use

Xeloda is used to treat cancer. It is pro-medication, it turns into a cytotoxic compound 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). 5-FU is formed in the tumors with help of thymidine phosphorylase, thus systemic influence of 5-FU on healthy tissues is minimal. The medication is used to treat breast cancer or colon or rectum cancer (also one with metastases) including types of the cancer resistant to paclitaxel and anthracyclines.


Dosage and direction

Take the medication exactly as it was administered to you. Treatment usually consists in a treatment cycle of 2 weeks on and 1 week off. This cycle is repeated up to 8 times. Take it orally with a full glass of water, 30 minutes after a meal. The daily dose is 2.5 g/sq.m/day (the daily dose should be divided in two intakes).


Missed dose

Take the dose you missed as soon as you remember. If it is almost time of your next intake just skip it and return to your regular schedule.


Overdose

Overdose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, bloody stools, coughing up blood.


Storage

Store in a dry place away from sunlight at room temperature between 15-30 C (59-86 F).

Precautions

While you are on Xeloda use effective birth control. Notify your doctor about your liver or kidney disease, a history of coronary artery disease, or if you are treated by folic acid, a blood thinner (Coumadin, warfarin), phenytoin (Dilantin), leucovorin (Wellcovorin). Your doctor may want you to have regular blood tests while you are treated by Xeloda. Do not miss any appointments. E attentive while driving or operating machinery as this drug may make you dizzy or fainting.


Contraindications

Do not start treatment with Xeloda if you have allergy to capecitabine or fluorouracil (Adrucil), kidney disease or dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency, pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescents under 18 years of age.


Drug interaction

Appointment of anticoagulants of cumarine type should be done not earlier than 1 month after treatment with Xeloda due to possible hypocoagulation and bleeding. Xeloda increases effects of indirect anticoagulants, increases blood levels of phenytoin. Antacids which contain aluminum and magnesium hydroxide increase blood concentrations of capecitabine and metabolite 5'-Deoxy-5-fluorocytidine. Cyclophosphamide increases toxicity due to increase of thymidine activity. Calcium folinate increases toxicity of capecitabine due to increased toxicity of fluorouracil.


Disclaimer

We provide only general information about medications which does not cover all directions, possible drug integrations, or precautions. Information at the site cannot be used for self-treatment and self-diagnosis. Any specific instructions for a particular patient should be agreed with your health care adviser or doctor in charge of the case. We disclaim reliability of this information and mistakes it could contain. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other indirect damage as a result of any use of the information on this site and also for consequences of self-treatment.

Possible side effect

Notify your doctor immediately if you have severe adverse reactions such as severe vomiting or diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomatitis, constipation, epigastric pain, dyspepsia, dry mouth, flatulence, loss of appetite, oral candidiasis, hyperbilirubinemia, pain or redness of your hands or feet, fever or flu symptoms, jaundice, angina, sudden numbness or weakness, fainting, itching, loss of fluid in the body, edema of extremities, difficulty breathing. Patients over 80 years of age are more likely to experience side effects from Xeloda.