Capecitabine
Capecitabine is an oral chemotherapy tablet for bowel, breast, stomach and pancreatic cancers, sold here as Capnat and Xeloda, both 500mg tablets.
What capecitabine treats
Capecitabine is chemotherapy that comes as a tablet rather than a drip. It is used for cancer of the colon or rectum (the large bowel), for breast cancer, for cancer of the stomach or oesophagus (the food pipe), and for pancreatic cancer. It is often given alongside other cancer drugs, and sometimes on its own.
How it works
Swallowed as a tablet, capecitabine is inactive. Enzymes in the body break it down in stages, and much of the final step happens inside tumour tissue, where it becomes 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). That active form blocks a building block cells need to copy their DNA, so cancer cells that divide quickly cannot keep multiplying. Because the conversion happens mostly at the tumour, the medicine works as a tablet instead of an infusion.
The two 500mg tablets sold here
Capnat and Xeloda both contain capecitabine as their only active ingredient, and both come as 500mg tablets. Capnat also appears under the plain name Capecitabine tablets, and Xeloda is the generic version. With the strength the same in each, the choice comes down to the name on the pack and the pack size you want. The rest of the cancer medicines sold here sit in oncology.
What a day on the tablets looks like
Most people take one dose in the morning and one in the evening, around twelve hours apart, each within half an hour of a meal, at the same times each day. Swallow the tablets whole with water: a crushed tablet gives off dust that can irritate the eyes and skin and cause nausea. Treatment runs in cycles, with days on the tablets followed by a break before the next cycle. If a dose comes back up, wait for the next scheduled one rather than taking an extra.
Side effects, and the ones that matter more
Expect diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, mouth ulcers, tiredness, tummy pain, and hand-foot syndrome — redness, swelling, tingling or soreness on the palms and soles. Diarrhoea, mouth ulcers and hand-foot syndrome can all become severe. Blood counts can fall during treatment, which may show up as fatigue, easy bruising, or a fever and sore throat that point to infection. An inherited shortage of the enzyme DPD makes severe, life-threatening reactions much more likely, and a blood test before treatment finds most people who have it. Capecitabine taken with the blood thinner warfarin can cause serious or life-threatening bleeding, and it can raise the level of the seizure medicine phenytoin. Folic acid supplements can increase the drug's effects. It can also harm a developing baby.
Sources
- Capecitabine: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Capecitabine | Macmillan Cancer Support — macmillan.org.uk
Can I order Capecitabine online in Hong Kong?
Capecitabine can be ordered online from PockDose with delivery to Hong Kong. The range is the branded version Capnat, also sold as Capecitabine tablets, in 500mg tablets, and generic Xeloda in the same strength. You can pay with Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted page, or use Bitcoin or Ethereum.
How much do Capecitabine products cost in Hong Kong?
Prices vary between the two capecitabine products and between pack sizes. Every product page lists its current prices in HKD or in the currency you choose.
Is there a generic Xeloda?
Yes, generic Xeloda is listed as 500mg tablets and contains capecitabine. Also on this page is the branded version Capnat at 500mg, which is also sold as plain Capecitabine tablets, so a plain name and another named version are both available.
What are the brand names for capecitabine?
Xeloda is a brand name of capecitabine. Here, capecitabine can be bought online as generic Xeloda and Capnat. These are generics, not the original brand.
What is the difference between Capnat and Xeloda?
Both are capecitabine 500mg tablets, so the active ingredient and the strength are the same. Capnat is the branded version and is also sold under the plain name Capecitabine tablets, while Xeloda is the generic. The difference is the name on the pack and the pack sizes on offer.
Is capecitabine the same as 5-FU?
Capecitabine is an oral version of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU): the body converts the tablet into 5-FU, which is the active cancer drug. Plain 5-FU is usually given through a drip into a vein, so the tablet form avoids the need for an infusion.
Does capecitabine cause hair loss?
Hair loss is not one of the usual effects of capecitabine, and most people keep their hair. Some notice thinning, and the hair usually grows back after treatment ends.
What is hand-foot syndrome?
It is a reaction to capecitabine on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet: the skin turns red, feels tight, tingles or becomes sore, and may peel or blister. It often starts in the first weeks of treatment and settles when the dose is lowered or the drug paused.
How long is capecitabine taken for?
There is no set course. Capecitabine is taken in cycles — a run of days on the tablets, then a break — and how many cycles you have depends on the cancer being treated and how well the treatment is tolerated. Courses often run for several months.