capecitabine

Diarrhea is a common adverse effect of this medication. Ensure you stay hydrated unless otherwise directed. Your doctor may also prescribe medication (such as loperamide) to mitigate diarrhea. Persistent vomiting or diarrhea can lead to dehydration.

Capecitabine is generally well-tolerated, with side effects often being mild and manageable.

Possible side effects include nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, constipation, fatigue, weakness, headache, dizziness, sleep disturbances, or altered taste perception. Severe nausea and vomiting may require prescription medication for prevention or relief.

Low-dose chemotherapy (LDC) is a targeted approach that controls cancer by administering lower doses of chemotherapy drugs, offering a safer alternative with reduced severe side effects compared to high doses.

Capecitabine is classified as an antimetabolite chemotherapy drug. In the body, it breaks down into substances that interfere with DNA, RNA, and protein production.

Rarely, severe skin reactions may occur, starting with tender red patches that progress to skin peeling or blistering. Feverishness and heightened light sensitivity in the eyes may accompany this condition. It is a serious and potentially life-threatening reaction.

To alleviate symptoms, avoid exacerbating factors like heavy or fatty foods, spicy or acidic foods (e.g., lemons, tomatoes, oranges). Consider using antacids (e.g., milk of magnesia, calcium tablets like Tums), saltines, or ginger ale.

Hair loss is a possible side effect of capecitabine when used alone, occasionally causing temporary hair thinning. Complete hair loss, including eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair, may occur when capecitabine is combined with another chemotherapy drug.

In hormone-receptor-positive disease, the capecitabine group showed a 76.4% disease-free survival rate compared to 73.4% in the control group. The overall survival rate was 93.4% versus 90.0%.

Doxorubicin is a potent chemotherapy option for various cancers, capable of targeting cancer cells at any stage of their life cycle and inhibiting cell reproduction.

Weight gain or loss can occur during treatment and may be managed with diet and exercise. If you struggle to control your weight, inform your healthcare provider.

Chemotherapy, while beneficial, is a potent cytotoxic (toxic to cells) treatment, and direct contact with chemotherapy drugs is best avoided by individuals without cancer. Healthcare professionals often wear protective gear when handling these drugs daily.

Contact your doctor immediately if you experience chest pain radiating to your arms, jaw, back, or neck, chest tightness, reduced urine output, dilated neck veins, faintness, nausea, sweating, swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet, difficulty breathing, unusual sweating, or vomiting.

Long-term use of Xeloda may lead to heart problems or kidney failure, which could be permanent. It may also result in long-term infertility, making it challenging to conceive or impregnate after treatment.

Hand-and-foot syndrome, also known as palmar-plantar syndrome or erythrodysesthesia, can occur with capecitabine, causing redness, swelling, skin rash, or pain, primarily on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

To alleviate symptoms, avoid exacerbating factors like heavy or fatty foods, spicy or acidic foods (e.g., lemons, tomatoes, oranges). Consider using antacids (e.g., milk of magnesia, calcium tablets like Tums), saltines, or ginger ale.

After sun exposure, if you develop severe sunburn or skin reactions like itching, rash, or swelling, contact your healthcare team. Hair loss is rare with capecitabine, and hair will regrow after treatment discontinuation.

It is safe to share a bathroom with others while receiving chemotherapy. Men taking chemotherapy should sit down to urinate to prevent splashing. After using the toilet, clean any potential splashes, and disinfecting wipes are effective for this purpose.

Partners cannot transmit cancer through intimate activities such as kissing or intercourse, and it will not cause cancer to spread or return. However, chemotherapy drugs may remain in body fluids for a few days.

Caregivers may absorb chemotherapy drugs through their skin if they come into contact with these fluids. Short-term exposure can result in skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cough, dizziness, eye irritation, hair loss, headache, mouth/throat/nose sores, and allergic reactions.

During this treatment, weight gain or, less commonly, weight loss may occur. Dietary and exercise measures may help you manage it. If you struggle with weight control, inform your doctor or nurse.

Potential side effects encompass diarrhea, loss of fingerprints, nausea, numbness, pain, tingling, or unusual sensations in the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, as well as pain, blistering, peeling, redness, or swelling of the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, and sores or ulcers in the mouth or on the lips.

Specific safety precautions may be necessary during and after chemotherapy. Typically, you can be around family and friends during the weeks and months of chemotherapy unless otherwise instructed by your healthcare team. On treatment days, family and friends can often accompany you.

If you are a caregiver, wear nitrile or latex gloves when handling capecitabine tablets. Wash your hands before and after putting on gloves, even if you haven’t touched the tablets directly. Dispose of gloves after each use; do not reuse them.

Take capecitabine tablets twice a day, approximately 12 hours apart. Swallow them whole with a glass of water within 30 minutes after a meal. Do not chew, crush, break, or cut the tablets. Take one dose in the morning after breakfast and the other after your evening meal.

After completing concurrent capecitabine and radiation therapy, eleven patients continued capecitabine cycles. The median number of cycles completed was 3, with one patient completing 8 cycles. Median survival was 14 months, and 18 patients survived through the study period’s end.

Fatigue and weakness can occur during and after treatment, but gentle daily exercises can help maintain energy levels. Mouth sores and ulcers can be painful but are usually well controlled with anti-nausea medications.

In the capecitabine group, the 15-year survival rate was 77.6%, compared to 73.3% in the control group. Patients with early breast cancer experienced longer survival when adjuvant capecitabine was given concurrently with chemotherapy, including docetaxel and cyclophosphamide.

Early-onset severe toxicities result from overexposure to 5-FU or capecitabine due to metabolic dysfunction or overdose. Incidence rates typically range from 20% to 30% with 5-FU and 10% to 14% with capecitabine.

Some individuals with primary breast cancer, including those with triple-negative breast cancer, may benefit from capecitabine. After surgery following preoperative chemotherapy, capecitabine may be offered. Your treatment team will discuss this as an option with you.

In palliative oncology, low-dose capecitabine monotherapy can be considered a viable option for managing metastatic breast cancer.

Xeloda (capecitabine), an oral chemotherapy medication, should be taken within 30 minutes after eating a meal to ensure proper drug absorption. Avoid taking Xeloda on an empty stomach.

The primary neurotoxicity associated with capecitabine is cerebellar syndrome, with an estimated incidence of < 0.5%. Symptoms typically include ataxia, nystagmus, cognitive changes, dysarthria, epilepsy-like symptoms, and coma.

Tests to assess the effectiveness of chemotherapy include blood tests, CT scans, and MRIs. A doctor may classify chemo’s response as complete, partial, stable, or showing disease progression.

Capecitabine should not be used in patients with an allergy to 5-fluorouracil, kidney disease, or a deficiency of the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD).

Chemotherapy drugs like capecitabine work in various ways to halt the growth of tumor cells, whether by killing them, preventing their division, or impeding their spread.

Palliative chemotherapy is administered in non-curative settings to optimize symptom control, enhance or maintain quality of life (QoL), and potentially improve survival.