Roche's Xeloda approved for colon-cancer use in EU

* Xeloda approved for treating cases of early colon cancer

* Xeloda in combination with oxaliplatin approved

ZURICH, March 30 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) said on Tuesday its blockbuster cancer drug Xeloda had been approved by the European Medicine Agency for treating patients with early colon cancer.

Last month, the Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) recommended Xeloda in combination with oxaliplatin -- also known as Eloxatin and marketed by Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA) -- for the post-surgery treatment of patients with early colon cancer. [ID:nLDE61N07L]

The drug is already approved for a wide range of treatments and marketed in more than 100 countries, with total sales of 1.3 billion Swiss francs ($1.2 billion) last year.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death across all tumour types in Europe, and is the third most commonly reported cancer in the world, Roche said. (Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = 1.065 Swiss francs)