Capecitabine

Brand Names: Ecansya, Xeloda, Capecitabine Medac, Ecansya (previously Capecitabine Krka), Capecitabine Accord, Capecitabine Teva

Background: Capecitabine is an orally-administered chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of metastatic breast and colorectal cancers. Capecitabine is a prodrug, that is enzymatically converted to fluorouracil (antimetabolite) in the tumor, where it inhibits DNA synthesis and slows growth of tumor tissue.

Indication: Capecitabine is indicated as treatment for a variety of cancer types. For colorectal cancer, capecitabine is indicated as a single agent or a component of a combination chemotherapy regiment for the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer and treatment unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer. It can also be used as a part of a combination chemotherapy perioperative treatment of adult locally advanced rectal cancer. For breast cancer, capecitabine is indicated for advanced or metastatic breast cancer as a single agent if an anthracycline- or taxane-containing chemotherapy is not indicated or as a regimen with docetaxel after disease progression on prior anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. For gastric, esophageal, or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, capecitabine is indicated as a component of a combination chemotherapy treatment for the treatment of adult unresectable or metastatic gastric, esophageal, or GEJ cancer or adult HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma who have not received prior treatment for metastatic disease. Finally, for pancreatic cancer, capecitabine is indicated as adjuvant treatment for adult pancreatic adenocarcinoma as a component of a combination chemotherapy regimen.

Associated Conditions: Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer, Carcinoma of Gallbladder, Cholangiocarcinoma, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (LARC), Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Gastroesophageal Junction, Metastatic Gastric Cancers, Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic Cancer, Advanced or Metastatic, Platinum-resistant Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Refractory Fallopian Tube Carcinoma, Stage III Colon Cancer, Unresectable or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic pancreatic endocrine carcinoma, Refractory peritoneal cancer, Refractory, metastatic Colorectal carcinoma, Unresectable, metastatic Esophageal Cancer, Unresectable, metastatic Gastric Cancer, Unresectable, metastatic Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer