Keeping in Touch with Your Doctor

Stay in close contact with your doctor to manage XELODA side effects

Like all chemotherapy treatments, XELODA has certain side effects. But they can generally be managed if caught early. Remember, your doctor wants to know about all of your side effects immediately.

Work closely with your doctor to manage XELODA side effects

XELODA is a chemotherapy pill for metastatic breast and colorectal cancer, and colon cancer after surgery. Since XELODA is a pill, when used alone it provides effective chemotherapy treatment without an intravenous (IV) tube. This might reduce the time you spend at your doctor's office. However, you will still need to visit your doctor so your doctor can assess your treatment and monitor your side effects.

DON'T FORGET!

CALL YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT ANY SIDE EFFECTS

Keep a Treatment Diary

We've created a XELODA Treatment Planner, which includes a diary to help you recognize and keep track of XELODA side effects. The planner is a good place to write down your side effects, when they happen, and how much they affect your day. It can help when you call your doctor about any XELODA side effects. Bring your planner to your doctor's appointment to help you ask the doctor about side effects.

You need to have Adobe^® Acrobat^® installed to view PDF files. If you do not have Acrobat^® Reader^®, you can download it for free from the Adobe^® Web site.

Get Adobe^® Acrobat^® Reader

Adobe^® Reader^® is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.

Learn to recognize XELODA side effects

It's common to experience side effects on XELODA. Take a moment to read about the most common ones, and learn which XELODA side effects are serious enough to require your stopping treatment right away and calling your doctor. If you have a side effect that fits any of the descriptions below, stop taking XELODA and contact your doctor right away.

Diarrhea: If you have an additional 4 bowel movements each day beyond what's normal, or any diarrhea at night
Vomiting: If you vomit more than once in a 24-hour period
Nausea: If you lose your appetite and the amount of food you eat each day is much less than usual
Stomatitis: If you have pain, redness, swelling, or sores in your mouth
Hand-foot syndrome: If you have pain, swelling, or redness of your hands or feet that prevents normal activity
Fever or infection: If you have a temperature of 100.5^ºF or greater, or other signs of infection

Adjusting the dose can be an important part of XELODA treatment

If you have side effects, your doctor can adjust your dose or stop your XELODA treatment for a while. This should help reduce the side effects and stop them from getting worse. If caught early, most of these side effects usually improve after you stop taking XELODA. If they do not improve within 2 to 3 days, call your doctor about side effects again. After side effects have improved, your doctor will tell you whether to start taking XELODA again and, if so, what dose to use. Adjusting the XELODA dose to be right for each patient is an important part of treatment.

If you take XELODA in combination with docetaxel you may experience some different side effects. Please ask your doctor about possible side effects that may be caused by taking XELODA with docetaxel.

Rely on your healthcare team

You might have some questions about your battle with cancer you feel too embarrassed to ask. For example, you could be concerned about your physical appearance. Remember, your doctor and other members of your healthcare team are comfortable discussing every aspect of cancer care. With their training and experience, they could have some suggestions and resources you would find very useful.

Who's on the team?

Learning who does what on your healthcare team can be confusing. To help you keep things straight, we've created a handy sheet where you can write down all their names, job titles, and contact information. Download the Healthcare Team Contact Form.

Indications:

XELODA is used to treat:

cancer of the colon or rectum (colorectal cancer) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic colorectal cancer). XELODA is used as a single drug to treat metastatic colorectal cancer. You should know that in studies, other medicines showed improved survival when they were taken together with 5-FU and leucovorin. In studies, XELODA used as a single drug was no worse than 5-FU and leucovorin taken together, but did not improve survival compared to these two medicines.
cancer of the colon after surgery.
breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer) together with another medicine called docetaxel.
breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and has not improved after treatment with other medicines such as paclitaxel and anthracycline-containing medicine such as doxorubicin.

Important Safety Information:

WARNING:

XELODA may increase the effect of other medicines used to thin your blood such as warfarin. It is very important that your doctor knows if you are taking a blood thinner such as warfarin because XELODA may increase the effect of this medicine and could lead to serious side effects. If you are taking blood thinners and XELODA, your doctor needs to check more often how fast your blood clots and change the dose of the blood thinner, if needed.

The most common side effects of XELODA are: hand-and-foot syndrome, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sores in the mouth and throat (stomatitis), stomach area pain (abdominal pain), upset stomach, constipation, loss of appetite, and too much water loss from the body (dehydration) (These side effects are more common in patients age 80 and older). Other common side effects are rash; dry, itchy or discolored skin; nail problems; hair loss; tiredness; weakness; dizziness; headache; fever; pain (including chest, back, joint and muscle pain); trouble sleeping; and taste problems. Tell your doctor if you have heart problems because you could have more side effects related to your heart.
These side effects may differ when taking XELODA with docetaxel. Please consult your doctor for possible side effects that may be caused by taking XELODA with other therapies.

If you are concerned about these or any other side effects while taking XELODA, talk to your doctor.
Do not take XELODA if you are nursing a baby. Tell your doctor if you are nursing. XELODA may pass to the baby in your milk and harm the baby.
Women should not become pregnant while taking XELODA. XELODA may harm your unborn child. Use effective birth control while taking XELODA. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant. Men should use birth control while taking XELODA.

Do not take XELODA if you are allergic to 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine or any of the ingredients in XELODA. Do not take XELODA if you have been told that you lack the enzyme DPD (dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase).
Stop taking XELODA immediately and contact your doctor right away if you have the side effects listed below or other side effects that concern you. Your doctor can then adjust XELODA to a dose that is right for you or stop your XELODA treatment for a while. This should help to reduce the side effects and stop them from getting worse.
- - Diarrhea: if you have an additional 4 bowel movements each day beyond what is normal or any diarrhea at night
- - Vomiting: if you vomit more than once in a 24-hour time period
- - Nausea: if you lose your appetite, and the amount of food you eat each day is much less than usual
- - Stomatitis: if you have pain, redness, swelling or sores in your mouth
- - Hand-and-Foot Syndrome: if you have pain, swelling or redness of your hands or feet that prevents normal activity
- - Fever or Infection: if you have a temperature of 100.5°F or greater or other signs of infection

Please be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your condition or treatment.

THIS SITE INTENDED FOR U.S. AUDIENCES ONLY

For more information about XELODA, contact your physician or other healthcare professional.