Capecitabine Provides Low Toxicity Antitumor Chemotherapy During Perioperative Period Of Colectomy: Experimental Study In Rats

Background: Early induction of chemotherapy in patients operated for colorectal carcinomas, may cause a significant delay in wound healing and multiply the risk of septic complications. Capecitabine is a new fluoropyrimidine carbamate with antineoplastic activity, indicated for the therapy of colorectal cancer. The impact of capecitabine administration during the perioperative period after colectomy was studied. Methods: Rats, which underwent colectomy and hand sutured colonic anastomosis, were pretreated with capecitabine. Sixty Wistar rats where randomized in two groups of 30 rats each. In the study group capecitabine was administered at therapeutic dose, from 1 week prior the operation throughout the study. Control group received placebo. Rats were sacrificed in groups of 10 animals on the 3, 7 and 14 postoperative days, in both experimental and control groups. Results: All animals of the experimental group gained weight postoperatively. No negative impact on the healing of experimental animal's colonic anastomoses was reported. The median bursting pressure was found to be significantly higher and histological findings showed less necrotic effects in experimental animals sacrificed on the 3 day, in comparison to controls. Conclusions: Administration of capecitabine during colectomy does not have a negative impact on the recovery of preoperatively treated animals, neither on the healing of colonic anastomoses.