Implications of capecitabine (Xeloda) for cancer nursing practice

Home-based therapy with oral capecitabine (Xeloda) has a number of advantages over i.v. hospital-based chemotherapy regimens, including improvement in patients' quality of life, and medical resource/cost savings compared with 5-FU/LV in metastatic colorectal cancer. In addition, the ability of capecitabine to extend survival beyond docetaxel in patients with previously treated metastatic breast cancer means that capecitabine plus docetaxel is a very cost-effective combination. Oncology nurses should prepare for the increased use of oral capecitabine as a single agent or in combination regimens in the outpatient setting. The use of this drug requires enhanced patient education skills, communication (e.g. telephone contact) and patient management on the part of the nurse. Oncology nurses will also need to accept a more significant and pivotal role in the clinical oncology team, not only as a point of contact between the patient and clinician, but also in documenting the benefits of capecitabine to ensure the effective management of patients receiving the drug.