Xeloda (Capecitabine)
Brand name: Xeloda®
Generic
name:
Capecitabine
Therapeutic
Class: antimetabolite
Manufacturer / Distributor:
Roche
Availability:
Xeloda is available by
prescription only
FDA Approval:
On June 2005,
Capecitabine (Xeloda) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of
certain colon cancers; other indications were subsequently approved.
Indication: Xeloda is used alone or in combination
with chemotherapy medications to treat:
- stage
III colon cancer after resection of the tumor
- metastatic
colorectal cancer, as first-line treatment (first-line therapy)
- Advanced
or metastatic breast cancer, alone or in combination with docetaxel after failure of first line
chemotherapy.
Dosage form:
Xeloda comes in tablet
form to take by mouth
Dosage: Basing on certain criteria such as
your age, medications you are taking, and your body surface area
(BSA), your oncologist will recommend the most effective xeloda dosage to combat the cancer. It is important
that you take the medication exactly as indicated in the prescription. Even if you experience side effects
during the therapy, do not stop or change the way you are recommended to take the medication. Modifying or
stopping the treatment without first contacting your doctor can lead to serious health problems.
Usually,
Xeloda is taken in two equal doses twice daily, 12 hours apart for two weeks followed by a break period of one
week. Cycles can be repeated every three weeks until the end of the therapy. Do not crush the tablet; xeloda
should be swallowed whole with water within 30 minutes after a meal.
A
regular monitoring is very important during treatment with Xeloda. Therefore, it is important to respect all
appointments with your doctors and lab specialists; this allows them to perform cardiac examination,
neurological evaluation and blood tests to detect minor problems in their genesis before they become serious
issues.
Storage: Xeloda should be kept tightly closed in
the container it came, out of the reach of
children. Keep the drug at room temperature
(15-30 ° C), away from heat above 40 ° C, light and moisture. Xeloda
and all other medications should not be used beyond the expiration date printed on the container.
Overdose: overdosing any chemotherapy drug can
lead to death. The risk of complications increases considerably when the drug is overdosed for long term. Even
in the absence of overdose, Xeloda can cause serious bleeding and death when used with anticoagulants such as
warfarin (Coumadin). Xeloda tends to damage the bone marrow, and
lead to decreased blood cells count. It is extremely important that
you take Xeloda as indicated by your physician or pharmacist; don’t
ever take it more or more often.
Missing dose:
misusing any drug can
be fatal; chance of complications is even higher when it comes to chemotherapy drugs. Take Xeloda exactly as
prescribed; taking less can decrease the therapeutic effects of the drug; taking more can lead to serious
health problems and even death. Do your best to take the medication around the same time every day.
In case you forget to
take a dose, take the missed one as soon as you remember it. However, if it is time or almost time for your next
dose,
do not double the next dose to recover the missed one. Contact your doctor or wait to go back to your regular
schedule.
Contraindication:
Xeloda is
contraindicated or should be used with precaution in the following conditions:
- pregnancy
- breast-feeding
- neutropenia
- leucopenia
- thrombocytopenia
- severe
liver disease
- severe
kidney disease
- galactosemia
or lactase deficiency
- allergy
to xeloda or one of its components
- dihydropyrimidine
dehydrogenase deficiency
(DPD deficiency)
- Glucose-galactose malabsorption
- In
combination with sorivudine therapy or chemically related analogues, such as brivudine.
Mechanism of action (MOA): Xeloda is an antineoplastic; it kills
cancer cells by selectively inhibiting the synthesis of their DNA.
Interactions:
It is not recommended
to use Xeloda in combination with certain prescription and non prescription medicines. In addition, the
following drugs can alter the effects of xeloda, or increase the risk of side effects. Talk with your
oncologist before taking:
- vitamins
- phenytoin
- folic
acid
- antacids
- allopurinol
- interferon
alpha
- anticoagulants
- radiotherapy
- And
certain other anticancer drugs.
Side effects:
by
attacking cancer cells, Xeloda also affects normal cells, and cause adverse reactions in some patients. Common
xeloda side effects include:
- mouth blistering
- dry mouth
- loss of appetit
- diarrhea
- dehydration
- stomach
pain
- constipation
- weakness
- tiredness
- headache
- sleeplessness
- nausea
and vomiting
- Dry or
itching skin.
If
the side effects above persist for weeks, contact your oncologist. In addition, contact your doctor if you
experience any of these symptoms:
- dizziness
- Fainting
- chest
pain
- Persistent
or sever vomiting
- severe
diarrhea
- signs of
infections: chills, sore throat, fever chill, ect.
- swollen
glands
- swelling
of face, fingers, feet or lower legs
- instability
or lack of coordination
- sudden
blood pressure lowering or rising
- nosebleeds
- light-colored
stools
- dark
urine
- Numbness,
pain, tingling or other unusual sensations in the palms
- irritation,
swelling or ulceration of the mouth
- stomachache
-
Blisters, redness, swelling or peeling of the skin in the hands or soles of feet
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