A comparative study on the serum and tissue 5-FU concentrations in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after preoperative oral administration of UFT and 5'-DFUR

• Published in: Gan to kagaku ryoho Vol. 21; no. 5; p. 641
• Main Authors: Miyazaki, K, Yakushiji, H, Kitahara, K, Mori, M, Sasatomi, E, Tsutsumi, N, Hirohashi, Y, Iwanaga, A, Iyama, A, Fukagawa, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan 01-04-1994
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - pharmacokinetics; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Floxuridine - administration & dosage; Floxuridine - pharmacokinetics; Fluorouracil - analysis; Fluorouracil - blood; Humans; Liver - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Male; Middle Aged; Tegafur - administration & dosage; Tegafur - pharmacokinetics; Uracil - administration & dosage; Uracil - pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 0385-0684

UFT or 5'-DFUR was orally administered to the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma preoperatively and the concentrations of these drugs and 5-FU in the serum, liver tissue and cancer tissue obtained at the time of operation were measured. The unchanged 5'-DFUR was not detected in any of these samples. The concentration of 5-FU in cancer tissue was significantly higher in UFT treated group (0.409 microgram/g) than that in 5'-DFUR group (0.040 microgram/g). However, the 5-FU levels in the serum and noncancerous liver tissue were also higher than those in the patients with other organ cancers. Although UFT is a useful drug for the adjuvant chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma, the dose was considered to be minimized to avoid the side effects since the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes may be decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with liver cirrhosis.