Capegard 500 Mg
- Manufacturer : Cipla Ltd
- Equivalent Brands : Xeloda
- Generic Brands : Capecitabine
Capegard 500 mg Tablet is an anticancer medicine which is used in the treatment of colorectal and breast cancer.
It should be used only under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional. It may cause severe liver and kidney injury if taken in high quantities.
Close monitoring of blood cell count is necessary while receiving this medicine.
Capegard tablets 500mg contain capecitabine, an oral chemotherapeutic drug belonging to the fluoropyrimidine group of drugs that is used to treat a variety of cancers.
Capecitabine itself is not toxic but is a precursor of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a cytotoxic metabolite that is activated by specific enzymes that exist in normal cells but in higher levels in cancer cells, thereby producing more 5-FU at the tumour site than in normal cells.
Capecitabine in Capegard 500 is an antimetabolite, which means that once metabolised, 5-FU is incorporated into newly synthesised nuclear material and causes metabolic errors that interfere with normal processing of DNA and RNA.
Also 5-FU binds to an important enzyme in the formation of an essential component of DNA, which inhibits the synthesis of DNA.
Both mechanisms contribute to the cytotoxic action of Capegard 500 that causes inhibition of cell growth and ultimately cell death of the cancer cells.
Since capecitabine in Capegard 500 is a tumour-activated and tumour-selective cytotoxic drug it targets rapidly growing tumour cells and has reduced effect on normal cells.
Capegard 500Mg Tablet is a drug used for treating cancer. Capegard 500Mg Tablet is an anti-metabolite used for chemotherapy for treating patients suffering from various cancers. Capegard 500Mg Tablet is used for treating breast, colon or rectal, pancreatic, gastric, ovarian, oesophageal. It comes as a pill, which is consumed after having food.
Common side effects include headache, weakness, pain¸ rashes, itching, diarrhea, fatigue, etc. It can also lead to serious side effects such as heart or kidney problems, low blood cell count and allergies. Women who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should inform their doctor before usage.
It should be avoided with antacids. People who are on health supplements or have been prescribed blood thinners should avoid its usage. People with heart or kidney issues should also refrain from taking this medicine as it can alleviate their condition.
Seek immediate medical attention in case you notice any of the following symptoms- Constipation, Mouth sores or ulcers, bruising, Vomiting, abdominal or stomach pain swelling of the palms or bottoms of the feet.
Do not take Capecitabine if you are pregnant or planning to have a baby soon. If you are pregnant or if you become pregnant while being treated with Capecitabine, alert your doctor immediately.
Capecitabine may cause harm to your unborn child. Both men and women must use proven birth control methods while being treated with Capecitabine. You may wish to discuss birth control methods with your doctor.
Alert your doctor if you are breastfeeding. Do not breastfeed while you are being treated with Capecitabine. Alert your doctor immediately if you ever had an allergic reaction with another cancer medicine called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Capecitabine may not be suitable for you if you ever had an allergic reaction to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).
Alert your doctor if you have been told that your body does not have the enzyme DPD (dihydropyridimidine dehydrogenase).
If you miss a dose of Capegard 500 take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose.
Colorectal Cancer. Capegard 500 mg Tablet is used in the treatment of Dukes’ stage C colon cancer and metastatic colorectal carcinoma.
Breast cancer. Capegard 500 mg Tablet is used alone or in combination with other medicines in the treatment of breast cancer.
Also used in ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, testicular cancer, non-hodgkin lymphoma (nhl), blood cancer, lung cancer, bone cancer, urinary bladder cancer.
Store it at room temperature 25oC.