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The treatment, taken orally, was passed for use in combination with oxaliplatin after testing revealed that patients taking the drug immediately after surgery lived disease-free for longer than those treated with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin.
The tablet works by activating the cancer-killing agent 5-fluorouracil inside the malignant cells.
A spokesman said: “The approval of XELOX for the adjuvant treatment of early colon cancer is great news for patients, who now have the added benefits and convenience of oral Xeloda in combination therapy for this disease, which is potentially curable if diagnosed and treated promptly.”
The news will likely prompt other health regulators to pass the drug. It is already used in the US and Japan.
Copyright Press Association 2010
Roche
