capecitabine
Sign in to saveCapecitabine, sold under the brand name Xeloda among others, is an anticancer medication used to treat breast cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. For breast cancer it is often used together with docetaxel. It is taken by mouth.
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Medical uses
- Adverse effects
- Contraindications
- Drug interactions
- Pharmacogenetics
- Mechanism of action
- Drug synthesis
- Overdose
- Society and culture
- Brand names
- References
- Further reading
Capecitabine, sold under the brand name Xeloda among others, is an anticancer medication used to treat breast cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. For breast cancer it is often used together with docetaxel. It is taken by mouth.
Common side effects include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and rashes. Other severe side effects include blood clotting problems, allergic reactions, heart problems such as cardiomyopathy, and low blood cell counts. Use during pregnancy may result in harm to the fetus. Capecitabine, inside the body, is converted to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) through which it acts. It belongs to the class of medications known as fluoropyrimidines, which also includes 5-FU and tegafur.