Breast cancer

Active Ingredient: Capecitabine

Indication for Capecitabine

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)

Capecitabine is indicated for the treatment of:

  • in combination with docetaxel for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Previous therapy should have included an anthracycline.
  • as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of taxanes and an anthracycline containing chemotherapy regimen or for whom further anthracycline therapy is not indicated.

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

2500 mg/m² in 2 divided doses daily

Route of admnistration

Oral

Defined daily dose

2,500 mg per m² of body surface area (BSA)

Dosage regimen

1,250 mg per m² of body surface area (BSA) 2 time(s) per day every day for 14 day(s)

Detailed description

Monotherapy

Breast cancer

Given as monotherapy, the recommended starting dose for capecitabine in the adjuvant treatment of colon cancer, in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer or of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer is 1250 mg/m² administered twice daily (morning and evening; equivalent to 2500 mg/m² total daily dose) for 14 days followed by a 7-day rest period. Adjuvant treatment in patients with stage III colon cancer is recommended for a total of 6 months.

Dosage considerations

Should be swallowed with water within 30 minutes after a meal.

2500 mg/m² in 2 divided doses daily

Route of admnistration

Oral

Defined daily dose

2,500 mg per m² of body surface area (BSA)

Dosage regimen

1,250 mg per m² of body surface area (BSA) 2 time(s) per day every day for 14 day(s)

Detailed description

Combination therapy

Breast cancer

In combination with docetaxel, the recommended starting dose of capecitabine in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer is 1250 mg/m² twice daily for 14 days followed by a 7-day rest period, combined with docetaxel at 75 mg/m² as a 1 hour intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. Premedication with an oral corticosteroid such as dexamethasone according to the docetaxel summary of product characteristics should be started prior to docetaxel administration for patients receiving the capecitabine plus docetaxel combination.

Dosage considerations

Should be swallowed with water within 30 minutes after a meal.

Active ingredient

Capecitabine

Capecitabine is a non-cytotoxic fluoropyrimidine carbamate, which functions as an orally administered precursor of the cytotoxic moiety 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). There is evidence that the metabolism of 5-FU in the anabolic pathway blocks the methylation reaction of deoxyuridylic acid to thymidylic acid, thereby interfering with the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The incorporation of 5-FU also leads to inhibition of RNA and protein synthesis.

Read more about Capecitabine

Related medicines

Develop a tailored medication plan for your case, considering factors such as age, gender, and health history

Ask the Reasoner

Liability Disclaimer : RxReasoner has utilized reasonable care in providing content and services that are accurate, complete and up to date. However, RxReasoner does not accept any responsibility or liability about it. The content and services of RxReasoner are for informational purposes only and they are not intended to be a substitute for the knowledge, expertise, skill, and judgment of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, or other healthcare professionals involved in patient care. RxReasoner offers no medical advice. Users are responsible for the use of the provided content. A shown indication or treatment should not be construed to indicate that the medication is safe, appropriate, or effective in any given patient or under any particular circumstances. The absence of an indication or treatment should not roule out the existence of other appropriate medications. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or medicament. RxReasoner is not liable for any damages allegedly sustained arising out of the use of its content and services.