Health
Study Finds Colon Cancer Can be Treated With Oral Tablet
Source: NBN/CP RadioWire
Jun 8, 2004, 11:57

With 100 thousand new cases of colon cancer each year, it�s important to learn about new treatment options.  New research shows that an oral tablet could replace the most widely-used I-V chemotherapy for colon cancer.

The results of a landmark study, presented at the world�s largest cancer meeting, offer evidence that colon cancer can be treated effectively with a pill. In fact, compared to an I-V regimen, treatment with once-a-day Xeloda� led to a 13 percent reduced risk of death from colon cancer in patients who have had surgery.  Doctor Howard Burris of the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville says this oral chemotherapy improved the convenience of receiving treatment:

�While they still need to come to the clinic every three to four weeks, for physician visits and to be checked on, certainly the ability to take drugs orally at home and still have their tumors being treated and with a very effective well tolerated treatment�

Safety results showed that patients treated with Xeloda� had fewer severe side effects when compared to those receiving I-V therapy.  In this study, hand and foot syndrome was more common in patients treated with Xeloda�.  Like all chemotherapy drugs, Xeloda� may not be right for some patients.