title: Relevance of the pharmacology of oral tegafur to its use as a 5-FU pro-drug.
abstract: We have studied the pharmacology of iv and oral tegafur (FT) and compared the results with similar studies using continuously infused 5-FU. All patients received daily abdominal irradiation as well as FT. In eight patients receiving 1.0 g/m2 of iv FT, serum FT levels were essentially the same as those in five patients receiving the same dose of oral FT. Oral FT appeared well-absorbed, even with abdominal irradiation. The mean serum FT achieved on a daily basis was a linear function of the oral FT dose between 1.0 and 2.5 g/m2 and was consistently about 1000-fold higher than the resultant 5-FU level. The major FT metabolite, dehydro-FT (DHFT), was persistently present at about ten times the 5-FU level. Because of their long half-lives, both FT and DHFT accumulate during continuous therapy. When the mean serum 5-FU levels with oral FT were compared to those found during continuous 5-FU infusions, we found that oral FT was the equivalent of low-level 5-FU infusion. Oral FT at 1.0 g/m2 was the equivalent of about 11.5 mg/kg/24 hours of 5-FU, increasing to about 17.5 mg/kg of 5-FU for oral FT at 2.5 g/m2. The pharmacologic properties of FT appear to dictate its most useful schedule (continuous oral dosing in multiple doses) and explain why FT alone is not ideal as a 5-FU pro-drug. In addition, insight into the pharmacokinetic limitations of FT also suggests means by which its usage may be improved, including its potential application as a radiosensitizer.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007700:Kinetics; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005641:Tegafur; C029917:dehydroftorafur; D005472:Fluorouracil