Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine carbamate chemotherapy agent approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal and breast cancer. The common side effects associated with it include gastrointestinal (GI) upset, abdominal pain, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, fatigue, alopecia, leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Although GI symptoms are relatively common, enterocolitis is one of the rare side effects of this drug. We present a case of 53-year-old female who developed severe enterocolitis leading to ileus secondary to capecitabine chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer. She was treated successfully via conservative management.
Keywords: capecitabine; chemotherapy-related toxicity; diarrhea; enterocolitis; ileus.
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