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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Xeloda Tablet Improves Survival Rate from Colon
Cancer Versus Chemo
Oral medicine approved in U.S. to also treat
metastatic breast cancer
 Oct.
8, 2007 – Xeloda, a tablet taken orally to treat colon cancer (it is
also approved in the U.S. for metastatic breast cancer) is proving much
more convenient than traditional chemotherapy, has fewer side effects
and, in a new study of almost 2,000 patients, has shown it is giving
them a better chance of surviving the disease.
Xeloda is the first FDA-approved oral chemotherapy
for both metastatic breast and colorectal cancer. It is also approved
for coverage in Medicare Part B in oncology.
“Standard chemotherapy can be incredibly disruptive
to people’s lives,” said Prof Professor Chris Twelves of the University
of Leeds, who led the current research of colon cancer treatment.
“Patients visit hospital five days a week for the
injections and then have three weeks off before returning to hospital
for the next course – and the side effects can be unpleasant.”
The oral chemotherapy drug Xeloda (capecitabine)
offers fewer side-effects and less time in hospital – and the trial has
shown that patients given the drug were at least as likely to be alive
and free of their disease as those on standard chemotherapy (the Mayo
Clinic regimen).
The research showed that about 71 percent of
patients given Xeloda were still alive after five years, compared to 68
percent of patients treated with standard chemotherapy injections.
Prof Twelves’s study followed 1,987 patients who
had undergone colon cancer surgery. It found that patients treated with
Xeloda spent 85 percent less time with their doctor or at the hospital,
and experienced fewer side effects.
The new results, showing patients’ five-year
survival rates, confirm the effectiveness of the treatment, according to Twelves.
“We now have long-term evidence now that clearly
supports Xeloda's superiority over the Mayo Clinic regimen,” said Prof
Twelves.
“There is now no reason why we should ask colon
cancer patients to endure the burdens associated with that older
treatment.”
“These updated five-year overall survival data
provide further proof that Xeloda can be a safe and effective
alternative to the current standard of care for adjuvant colorectal
cancer, which can require upwards of 30 clinic visits over the 24-week
treatment course,” said Dr. Howard Burris of the Sarah Cannon Research
Institute, Nashville, Tenn., and lead U.S. investigator in the study.
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About Xeloda by Manufacturer, Roche |
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 XELODA is the
first FDA-approved oral chemotherapy for the treatment of both
metastatic breast and colorectal cancers. That means it can be
taken by mouth. XELODA has been proven to be effective at
treating metastatic breast cancer and colorectal cancer in
several clinical studies. It has also been shown to be generally
tolerated well by patients.
The Benefits
of an Oral Chemotherapy
Because
XELODA can be taken by mouth, it can be more convenient than
intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. IV therapy typically means a
visit to your doctor's office, a clinic, or a hospital. With
XELODA, you may be able to have fewer visits, or at least have
each one take less time.
Plus, you can
take XELODA when you're at home, at work, or even while
traveling. This can be more difficult with an IV chemotherapy.
For example,
the Mayo Clinic's recommended schedule for treating colon cancer
requires up to 30 clinic visits over a 24-week treatment course.
Patients taking XELODA for colon cancer generally requires fewer
clinic visits.
XELODA is used to treat:
● cancer of the colon after
surgery
● cancer of the colon or rectum
(colorectal cancer) that has spread to other parts of the body
(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 was no
worse than 5-FU and leucovorin taken together but did not
improve survival compared to these two medicines
● breast cancer that has spread to
other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer) together with
another medicine called Taxotere® (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 Adriamycin® (Doxorubicin)
http://www.xeloda.com/ |
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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer
in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007
more than 153,500 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed and about 52,000
people will die from the disease, accounting for almost 10 percent of
all cancer deaths.
Worldwide, about 945,000 new cases of colorectal
cancer are diagnosed each year, and the disease is responsible for about
492,000 deaths.
When colorectal cancer is detected at an early,
localized stage, the five-year survival is 90 percent; however, only 39
percent of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this stage, mostly due to
low rates of screening.
The following supplied by the University of
Leeds
Xeloda is manufactured by Roche Holding AG, the
world's biggest maker of cancer medicines. The study's initial results
helped the Swiss-based company win European and US approval in 2005 for
using Xeloda to treat colon cancer after surgery.
The medicine also is cleared for breast tumors, and
in March Roche won European approval for its use with chemotherapy in
people with advanced stomach cancer.
Chris Twelves is professor of clinical cancer
pharmacology and oncology at the University of Leeds, working on cancer
drug development and translational research with clinicians and
scientists in Leeds and Bradford.
Early in 2008, Prof Twelves will join colleagues in
the new regional oncology centre currently under construction at St
James's Hospital in Leeds. The new wing will centralize and expand a
number of key cancer services for Leeds and the wider region, providing
all non-surgical oncology services – radiotherapy, chemotherapy,
clinical hematology and palliative care – and a small number of
specialist surgical services.
The new results show patients’ five-year survival
rates. An earlier report from the study, Capecitabine as Adjuvant
Treatment for Stage III Colon Cancer, was published in the New England
Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med 352;26) on June 30, 2005. A PDF file
of that paper is available on request.
About Roche (by company)
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), based in Nutley, N.J., is the U.S.
pharmaceuticals headquarters of the Roche Group, one of the world’s
leading research-oriented healthcare groups with core businesses in
pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. For more than 100 years in the U.S.,
Roche has been committed to developing innovative products and services
that address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus
enhancing people's health and quality of life. For additional
information about the U.S. pharmaceuticals business, visit our websites:
http://www.rocheusa.com or
www.roche.us.
More About Xeloda by the Manufacturer, Roche
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