New findings reported that incomplete hair recovery affected fewer women (nearly 20 per cent fewer) one-two years following their treatment, when the chemotherapy pill Xeloda was included in their treatment regimen for breast cancer following surgery. The initial safety results from the trial by a Spanish breast cancer investigation group (GEICAM) show that the average length of time that women needed to wear wigs was reduced by over a third in the Xeloda-containing treatment group compared to those on standard chemotherapy treatment where some women's hair loss meant they had to permanently wear a wig.

Reducing the effect of hair loss for women with breast cancer is an important issue; it is a common and distressing side-effect of chemotherapy occurring in 77 to 95 per cent of chemotherapy cycles. Hair loss is often considered one of the worst experiences of chemotherapy; some women view it worse than losing a breast and may refuse chemotherapy because of the risk of hair loss. Patients can feel angry or depressed, it can remind them of their cancer and cause them to worry about how it will affect their relationships with family and friends and their social/work life.

"Hair loss is a highly sensitive issue for women with breast cancer, so identifying chemotherapies that reduce this distress is important." said professor Miguel Martin, investigator for the GEICAM study group and oncologist at Hospital Clínico, University of San Carlos, Madrid. "These findings suggest that oral Xeloda may have a bigger role to play than just improving survival in breast cancer."

Xeloda is an innovative oral chemotherapy drug that is powerful and effective treatment option that has been shown to significantly lengthen survival in women with advanced breast cancer.

Xeloda, capecitabine, is a highly effective targeted oral chemotherapy offering patients a survival advantage when taken on its own or in combination with other anticancer drugs.