Oral chemotherapy: A unique treatment option

Recent data further strengthen the wealth of evidence showing that capecitabine, an innovative oral chemotherapy, should replace the current standard treatment of intravenous 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (i.v. 5-FU/LV) for colon cancer patients in the adjuvant (post-surgery) setting.

In March 2005, Roche received approval from European authorities for capecitabine to be used as a post-surgery treatment in colon cancer patients.

Results of a study comparing capecitabine and 5-FU/LV presented at the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting demonstrate that capecitabine provides a unique treatment option with unsurpassed benefits for colon cancer patients.

Capecitabine is confirmed to be at least as effective as standard chemotherapy. Relapse-free survival rates are significantly higher with capecitabine than with standard intravenous chemotherapy. There is a strong trend toward disease-free survival with capecitabine.

Less serious and more manageable side effects were reported with capecitabine than with standard chemotherapy.

Cost-wise, with capecitabine a patient only needs eight hospital visits compared to 30 if treated with standard chemotherapy.

Since capecitabine is in tablet form, patients can take it in the comfort of their own home and not have to travel to cancer centers for treatment.

"This new data confirming that capecitabine should replace standard 5FU/LV chemotherapy is exciting news for patients and doctors alike," said Prof. Chris Twelves of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.

"It gives colon cancer patients the freedom to use an effective, tolerable, and convenient oral treatment that is as at least effective as traditional intravenous chemotherapy but has fewer side effects and avoids the burden of frequent and expensive hospital visits."