Introduction
Xelobine 500 is used in the treatment of cancer of breast, colon, and rectum. It may be also used to treat other conditions, as determined by the doctor. It is used alone or in combination with some other medicine as a part of chemotherapy.
Xelobine 500 should be taken with food within 30 minutes after eating a meal. Your doctor will decide what dose is necessary and how often you need to take it. This will depend on what you are being treated for and may change from time to time. You should take it exactly as your doctor has advised. Taking it in the wrong way or taking too much can cause very serious side effects. It may take several weeks or months for you to see or feel the benefits but do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to.
The most common side effects of this medicine include vomiting, weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. This medicine may reduce the number of blood cells (decrease white blood cells) in your blood, thereby, increasing the susceptibility to infections. Regular blood tests are required to check your blood cells along with heart, liver, and blood uric acid levels.
Before taking it, tell your doctor if you have liver, or kidney problems or are taking any medicines to treat infections. Many other medicines can affect, or be affected by, this medicine so let your doctor know all medications you are using. This medicine is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. The use of effective contraception by both males and females during treatment is important to avoid pregnancy.
Uses of Xelobine 500
- Breast cancer
- Cancer of colon and rectum
Side effects of Xelobine 500
Common
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Blisters on fingers/feet
How to use Xelobine 500
Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Xelobine 500 is to be taken with food.
How Xelobine 500 works
Xelobine 500 is an anticancer medication. Inside the body, this medicine gets converted into 5-fluorouracil (chemical). This chemical hampers the synthesis of genetic materials (RNA and DNA) in the cancer cells, thereby interferes with their growth. This slows down the growth of cancer cells and eventually kills them.
Indication
Breast cancer, Colorectal cancer, Gastric cancer, Oesophageal cancer
Administration
Swallow with water within 30 min after a meal
Adult Dose
Oral
Breast cancer; Colorectal cancer
Adult: 1.25 g/m2 bid for 2 wk followed by a 1 wk rest period; therapy to be given in 3-wk cycles. Recommended treatment duration for colorectal cancer: 6 mth. May be used in combination with docetaxel at 75 mg/m2, given as a 1-hr IV infusion once every 3 wk for the treatment of breast cancer.
Gastric cancer
Adult: Used in combination with a platinum-based compound, 1 g/m2 bid for 14 days, followed by a 7-day rest period. 1st dose is given on the evening of day 1 and the last dose on the morning of day 15.
Renal Dose
Renal impairment:
CrCl (ml/min)
51-80 No adjustment needed.
30-50 Reduce dose to 950 mg/m2 bid when starting dose is 1.25 g/m2 bid. No dose adjustment is needed when starting dose is 1 g/m2.
<30 Avoid use.
Contraindication
History of severe and unexpected reactions to fluoropyrimidine therapy; severe renal impairment; pregnancy, lactation. Hypersensitivity.
Mode of Action
Capecitabine is a prodrug that is converted to fluorouracil following oral administration, which in turn inhibits thymidylate synthetase, blocking the methylation of deoxyuridylic acid to thymidylic acid, interfering with DNA, and to a lesser degree, RNA synthesis.
Precaution
Hepatic dysfunction, bone marrow suppression, poor nutritional status, warfarin therapy. Child, elderly, prior extensive pelvic radiation or alkylating therapy. Moderate renal impairment; CBC with differential; monitor hepatic and renal function. Discontinue use if intractable diarrhoea, stomatitis, bone marrow suppression or MI develops.
Side Effect
10%
Diarrhea,Nausea,Anemia,Lymphopenia,Hand and foot syndrome,Edema,Fatigue,Fever,Headache,Pain,Paresthesia,Alopecia,Dermatitis,Abdominal pain,Anorexia,Appetite decreased,Constipation,Dyspepsia,Stomatitis,Vomiting,Neutropenia,Thrombocytopenia,Dyspnea,Bilirubin increased,Eye irritation
1-10%
Chest pain,Dermatitis,Pruritus,Rash,Dizziness,Headache,Weakness,Dehydration,Dry mouth,Dyspepsia,Taste disturbance,Back pain
Potentially Fatal: Cardiotoxicity, bone-marrow depression and hyperbilirubinaemia.
Pregnancy Category Note
Pregnancy Category: C
Lactation: excretion in milk unknown; use with caution
Interaction
Antacids containing aluminum and magnesium, leucovorin, anticoagulants, phenytoin, allopurinol.