title: Different intravenous administration techniques for 5-fluorouracil. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics after 20 min intravenous infusion or a 2 min bolus (push) injection of 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2) were studied in 14 colorectal cancer patients. Treatment effects and toxicity related to the administration technique of 5-fluorouracil were retrospectively analysed in 198 colorectal cancer patients. The AUC after bolus injection was 6158 +/- 874 micromol/l*min compared to 3355 +/- 428 micromol/l*min after short-time infusion of 5-fluorouracil (p < 0.01). The mean peak-level after bolus injection was 341 +/- 34 microM versus 161 +/- 17 microM after a short-time infusion (p < 0.01). Patients receiving bolus injections had significantly better treatment result (32% partial remission) than patients receiving infusion (10% partial remissions, p < 0.001). Toxic side-effects were more frequently encountered after bolus injection but subjective improvement was also more frequently experienced by these patients. Bolus 5-fluorouracil push injection rather than a short-time infusion appears to be the more efficient administration technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ostra sjukhuest, Göteborg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gustavsson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glimelius
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil