Capecitabine Uses

Capecitabine is used in the treatment of cancer of colon and rectum and breast cancer.

How Capecitabine works

Capecitabine is an anticancer medication. Inside the body, this medicine gets converted into 5-fluorouracil (chemical). These 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.

Common side effects of Capecitabine

Fatigue, Vomiting, Increased bilirubin in the blood, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea, Paresthesia (tingling or pricking sensation), Weight loss, Stomatitis (Inflammation of the mouth), Hair loss, Dehydration, Constipation, Eye irritation, Nausea, Anemia (low number of red blood cells), Hand-foot syndrome, Fever, Pain, Breathlessness, Low blood platelets, Decreased appetite, Decreased white blood cell count (neutrophils), Edema (swelling)