Oral FUOX (Xeloda?) vs. IV 5-FU

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wmcbane
wmcbane Member Posts: 33
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I'm new to this site and wondered if anyone had advice re: treatment with oral FUOX (is that Xeloda?) vs. IV 5-FU as a post-operative treatment for Phase IV rectal cancer. I've had rectum removed and liver resection and am getting ready to start adjuvant therapy.

My oncologist says the two are equivalent in terms of efficacy.

I took Xeloda pre-operatively with no real problem, but occasionally I couldn't recall whether I'd taken a dose or not. I thought the IV might ensure more accurate dosing.

Thanks

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  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #2
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    Hello
    Welcome to the club.

    My hubby is Stage IV, has had a colectomy but no other surgery. After 12 rounds of Folfox he is now on IV of F5U and Leucovorin every week adding in Avastin every other week. He has had no problems. Infusion time is less than 40 minutes. He gets infusion at onc's office. Since the onc's office is only a half hour or less away and they also do all the labs there which takes only a few minutes. He has not found this to be inconvenient. He has never had the oral chemo. Talk to your onc so you can come up with a plan that is good for you. If you would rather do the IV than oral, he may very well go along with that.

    Again, welcome to the club.

    Take care - Tina
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #3
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    Welcome to the site
    and sorry that you had to find us, but there is a lot of experience on the board which i hope you will find useful.

    I am also a stage 4a rectal cancer survivor with and LAR and R hepatectomy and 11 cycles of FOLFOX 6 which is leukovorin, oxaliplatin and IV 5FU which ended May 09. My doctor said that there was no documented difference at the time I started 12/08 between using Xeloda (as in XELOX vs FOLFOX)and IV 5FU. However you might look at the NIH sites and NCCN site to see if there are new protocols or results of clinical tials. I have read I think that Xeloda may have a slight edge.

    again welcome
    Leslie
  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #4
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    I just wanted to welcome you
    I just wanted to welcome you to the forum but I have never used the pill form. I hope you find this forum useful.
  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    #5
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    My experience
    I was first DX in May 07,stage 3, with colon cancer at age 38, had surgery, started 5fu IV for 3 months, then did 6 weeks of radiation with Xeloda, then another 3 months of 5fu IV, well within 6 months the cancer came back, stage 4 now, had surgery, no radiation required, then started an eight month run with xeloda, highest dose of about 5000 mg a day, two weeks on and 1 week off, I finished chemo in June of 09, and have been clear ever since (knocking on wood at my desk). I am scheduled for another CT scan check up on Tuesday.

    Good luck with what ever you choose.

    God Bless
    Beth

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