Hitoshi Hanaue

Anticancer drug distribution in lymph and blood during adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for gastric carcinoma. A study with a combined preparation of 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil and uracil

Previously the authors reported that the fat emulsion of 1‐(2‐tetrahydrofuryl)‐5‐fluorouracil, tegafur (FT‐207), yielded significantly higher concentrations of tegafur in the lymph and plasma compared to tegafur enteric‐coated granules (FT‐G). However, the emulsification did not improve the metabolic conversion rate of tegafur to 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU). A study was performed to assay the plasma and lymphatic concentrations of tegafur, 5‐FU, and uracil in seven patients after radical surgery for gastric carcinoma who were given a combined oral preparation of FT‐207 and uracil (UFT). Both lymph and plasma 5‐FU levels after UFT were 20 times greater than those after FT‐G, although FT‐207 levels were not different. Patients given UFT showed significantly greater 5‐FU and uracil concentrations in the lymph compared with the plasma. The results of this study suggest a potential use of UFT as an adjuvant postoperative chemotherapeutic agent for gastric carcinoma.