Bowel cancer starts from the large bowel, rectum or in a colon. This cancer is also called as colorectal cancer. It starts in the inmost layer which is known as lining. This cancer generally spreads to many other organs which are present near the bowel, and the treatment depends on the affected part by this cancer. Bowel cancer treated with the help of surgery is an effective way to get rid of this cancer. Therapies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and biological treatments are used to treat bowel cancer.
Medicines used to treat bowel cancer
- Fluorouracil (5FU)
A chemotherapy drug named Fluorouracil (5FU) is used to cure various cancers such as breast cancer, mainly the bowel, skin cancer, oesophageal as well as pancreatic cancer. Common side effects of this drug are the high risk of infection, bruising and bleeding on infected parts, anemia, diarrhea, generally gets sick, loss of appetite, hair loss, and fatigue. - Capecitabine (Xeloda)
This is the general name for the drug Xeloda. Generally, the doctors use this name Xeloda whenever they refer the drug capecitabine to any patient which is being treated for bowel cancer. This drug is very helpful in stopping the growth of cancer and do not let cancer to spread to other parts of the body. Some of the side effects of Capecitabine drug are the low count of white blood cell as well as the red blood cell, diarrhea, raised liver enzymes, tiredness, nausea, and vomit, itching on infected areas, and also a pain in abdominal. - Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
This drug comprises of platinum-containing compounds. Oxaliplatin is used to stop or slow down the development of cancer cells in human body. Some side effects of Oxaliplatin have increased the risk of getting an infection, shortness of breath, pale skin, bleeding in gums, weakness in the body within the treatment, hair loss, and headaches. - Irinotecan (Campto)
This drug is used to block the enzyme, named topoisomerase I. The presence of this enzyme certainly divides as well as grows the cancerous cells. Irinotecan is a drug which is basically used to block the activity of this enzyme so that all the cancer cells are not able to divide and grow. Side effects of Irinotecan are constipation, lack of breath, sleep disorder, cold and cough, severe headache, dehydration, rashes on the skin, and swelling of feet.