A protein-bound polysaccharide immunomodulator, PSK, does not suppress the conversion from 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil to 5-fluorouracil in patients with gastric cancer.
Effects of the immunomodulator PSK on the metabolism of 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil (tegafur) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were examined in 10 patients with advanced gastric cancer and who had undergone curative resection. PSK is a protein-bound preparation, extracted from Coriolus versicolor and belongs to Basidiomycetes. The 5-FU concentration in the plasma was 0.024 micrograms/ml at 15 min after the intravenous injection of 400 mg of tegafur and the area under the curve of 5-FU was 0.58 micrograms.h/ml. Following administration of PSK, 3 g/day for 8-14 months, there was no change in the plasma level of 5-FU, in any patient. As the clinical dose of PSK had no apparent influence on the metabolism of tegafur to 5-FU, the combination of PSK and tegafur can be prescribed to treat patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Anai
H
H
Cancer Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
Sakaguchi
Y
Y
Emi
Y
Y
Kohnoe
S
S
Maehara
Y
Y
Sugimachi
K
K
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001711:Biotransformation; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005641:Tegafur / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D011509:Proteoglycans; D005641:Tegafur; C010770:polysaccharide-K; C025404:3-FT; D005472:Fluorouracil