EOX chemotherapy

EOX chemotherapy is used in the treatment of esophagus cancer, stomach cancer, and cancer of the gastro-esophageal junction. The drug combination used in EOX chemotherapy comprises of epirubicin, Eloxatin (oxaliplatin) and Capecitabine. This drug can also be referred to by some of the doctors as EEX because oxaliplatin is also called Eloxatin.

EOX chemotherapy regimens

Worldwide, gastric cancer or stomach cancer is the second most frequent cancer and more than 80% patients develop advanced disease and patients survive only for 3 to 4 months without chemotherapy. Patients can suffer from weight loss, anorexia, epigastria discomfort, and more infrequently, early satiety or vomiting of blood. Some classical chemotherapy regimens (CF and ECF) obtain responses in 20–40% of the patients and improve quality of life. However benefits with classical chemotherapy are limited and median survival not exceeds 7 to 10 months.

Doctors are always trying to get better response rates. So they test new drugs and new combinations of drugs. Different combinations of chemotherapy drugs are used to treat stomach and gastric cancer that has already spread. To improve these results, new combinations drugs has been explored. These new combinations of drugs include EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin and capecitabine), EOX (epirubicin, cisplatin and fluorouracil), ECX (epirubicin, cisplatin and capecitabine or Xeloda), Docetaxel (DCF) and irinotecan (ILF).

Among these EOX chemotherapy is used largely to treat cancer. EOX chemotherapy is usually given in cycles. Each treatment cycle is followed of rest period which allow patient’s body to recover their normal cells. In EOX chemotherapy Epirubicin (50 mg/m2) and Oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2) is given intravenously on day 1 of chemotherapy treatment. Capecitabine (625 mg/m2) is given in the form of capsules. These capsules are usually prescribed twice a day for about 21 days. If you happen to miss your dose, contact your doctor as soon as possible. After one cycle, there is a rest period for about three weeks. One cycle lasts for about 22 days.

This completes one cycle of treatment. Repeat the cycle every three weeks for four to six times. Thus length of chemotherapy is usually 3 to 4 months. Your doctor will determine the number of cycles that you would need to be administered.

EOX chemotherapy Side Effects

EOX chemotherapy drugs are toxic in nature. They damage normal body cells along with cancer cells which causes some unpleasant side effects. However, each patient reacts differently to chemotherapy. Some have fewer side effects while others have more.

Side effects associated with EOX chemotherapy include fatigue, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, bleeding, mouth sores, etc. Some patients can also have neutropenia, which results in low blood cell count and a lowered resistance to infection. However, these side effects are temporary in nature and go away gradually once the treatment gets over.

Contact your doctor immediately in case you experience the following other than neutropenia and chemotherapy  side effects:

•     You have fever more than 100 degrees.
•     If you have blood in urine
•     Pass stools or have vomiting very frequently and it does not get better with medication
•    Any other sudden uncommon symptoms that make you feel sick.

Ask your doctor about the various precautions to be followed during the EOX chemotherapy treatment. You may be asked to have plenty of bed rest and have a nutritious diet. Your caregiver might advise you not to indulge in strenuous physical activity. If you have any questions or doubts, you must have them cleared.