Chemo pills???

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dalex
dalex Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Can anyone tell me about the chemo pills you can take instead of the chemo by I.V.
My Dr. says there is a 5% difference in how effective they are compared to the I.V. treatment. But he was not very forth coming regarding the side effects.
Any advise would be great.

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  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #2
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    Xeloda
    Check out Xeloda; I took it with other chemo as well as radi8ation at same time so canno9t differentiate which side effect I felt camne from which treatment component.Xeloda also known as capecitabine, made by Roche...Hope this helps a little,,,,,Steve
  • AceSFO
    AceSFO Member Posts: 229
    #3
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    Xeloda
    My partner, johnsfo, did Xeloda instead of 5FU and tolerated it very well. It seemed the be the drugs they paired it with that were the problem. Oxalyplatin the first time and Irinotecan the second time, but he said the Xeloda was fine.
    Can't speak about 5FU, but I've heard it's no fun.

    Hope this helps,
    Adrian
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #4
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    Xeloda
    Hi,

    The only chemo pills I know of approved for colorectal cancer is Xeloda. I was on Xeloda at one point combined with Avastin as a maintenance treatment. Xeloda is the oral pill form of 5FU. One study results I read about stated that Xeloda was at least as effective as 5FU, maybe slightly more.
    I am no longer on Xeloda, however, as I switched back to the 5FU pump (which I hate). My onc and I agreed that it would probably be best for me to switch back though, as we discussed some absorption problems we think I have with taking things orally. We don't know I have this for sure, but are surmising I do because of when I was trying to bring up my vitamin D levels. I had taken oral vitamin D supplements for a while with no success of raising my D level to an acceptable amount. Once I switched myself from vitamin D pills to the spray-under-the-tongue type (which supposedly absorps straight into the bloodstream and bypasses the digestive system), my vitamin D levels started coming up. That's just my issue, though, and that's why I changed back to the 5FU pump from the oral Xeloda.

    Some people experience side effects slightly differently with the two. I've heard some people have more issues with hand/foot syndrome (skin redness, sensitivity, and peeling) with Xeloda than with 5FU. That was not my experience, however. With the Xeloda pills, you just have to make sure you're someone who will faithfully take the pills on time (usually twice a day with two weeks on, one week off- dosages vary and the dosage amount does affect how many side effects you experience).

    Hope that information helps you some-

    Best wishes,
    Lisa
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    #5
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    Xeloda
    Studies have actually shown no difference in effectiveness between Xeloda and 5FU. There has not been enough study done to have a definite conclusion on the "cocktails" using IV or pill.

    Each has a little different side effects. The tough thing about Xeloda is you have to be very diligent about taking pills, and depending on your size, you might have to take a lot of them - every day for two weeks, then you get a week off. Then the cycle starts again. If you hate the side effects and/or are feeling very nauseated, can you force yourself to take the pills?

    I have a friend with pancreatic cancer that is on Xeloda, and he loves it - the best thing he has tried - best results with least side effects. But it affects everyone differently.

    Pasted from an email I received from the makers of Xeloda:

    Learn more about Colorectal Cancer—and XELODA
    Remember to visit www.XELODA.com for more useful information about Colorectal Cancer and its treatment. The links below take you directly to several of the most common topics of interest for recently diagnosed patients like yourself. Finally, don't forget to ask your doctor about XELODA® (capecitabine)—a proven treatment for certain types of Colorectal Cancer (learn more about XELODA).
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #6
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    Xeolda
    I took the Xeolda when I was having my radiation theraphy. I didn't notice any side effects from the pill itself. Personally if I could take a pill vs. infusion, I would take the pill any time, however, when they do the infusion I believe the dosage is a lot higher so you will get more side effects.

    Kim
  • dalex
    dalex Member Posts: 7
    #7
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    Xeloda
    Thank you all for the info on this medication. I am going to go to research the info on this medication and contact my insurance to see how much they will pay regarding the pills.

    dalex

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