This information is in addition to your consent form(s) and booklet, 'SACT - a guide for patients and their carers'.
Your treatment
Capecitabine tablets are taken orally twice a day (10 to 12 hours apart) on days 1 to 14, followed by a 7 day break. Treatment is given every 21 days (1 cycle). If you are taking capecitabine for advanced breast cancer, the treatment will continue until disease progression or you are experiencing side effects that can no longer be managed.
If you are taking capecitabine for early breast cancer the treatment will last for 6 to 8 cycles (18 to 24 weeks). You will be required to have a blood test prior to starting capecitabine to check you have the enzymes required to break down this type of chemotherapy.
If you vomit after taking a dose, do not repeat the dose. Take your next dose at your normal time.
You will have routine blood tests while on treatment as advised by your medical team. The frequency of these blood tests may decrease once you are established on treatment.
Occasionally we may not be able to go ahead with your treatment until your blood counts are back to a safe level. If this happens, your treatment may be delayed a week or dose reduced.
You must never take your treatment unless you have had your blood checked and been given the go-ahead by the doctor, nurse clinician or pharmacist.
This treatment can have serious or possibly life-threatening side effects. It is very important that you report side effects straight away.
You are vulnerable to infection while you are having chemotherapy. Minor infections can become life-threatening in a matter of hours if left untreated. Symptoms of infection include fever, shivering, sweats, sore throat, diarrhoea, discomfort when you pass urine, cough or breathlessness. We recommend that you use a digital thermometer so you can check your temperature. You can buy one from your local chemist.
If you feel unwell, you have symptoms of an infection or your temperature is 37.5ºC or above, or below 36ºC, contact The Christie Hotline straight away on 0161 446 3658 (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Possible side effects
See the Cancer Research UK consent form.
You should have been given a copy of this consent form before you started treatment but it can also be found by visiting www.cancerresearchuk.org and searching ‘Consent forms for SACT (systemic anti-cancer therapy).
See 'SACT - a guide for patients and their carers'.
Contacts
If you have any general questions or concerns about your treatment, please ring the service under which you are being treated.
Please contact your consultant’s secretary or your breast care nurse.