title: Oral therapy for colorectal cancer: how to choose.
abstract: Either alone or in combination with other antineoplastics, fluorouracil (5-FU) has been the mainstay of treatment of gastrointestinal, breast, and head and neck cancers for the past 40 years. Numerous active 5-FU schedules are in clinical use, but erratic oral bioavailability has historically mandated intravenous administration. Recently, two methods have been used to overcome the poor oral bioavailability of 5-FU. The first involves the use of prodrugs that are absorbed intact in the gastrointestinal tract and are ultimately converted to 5-FU in normal or tumor tissues. An alternate approach involves the inhibition of gastrointestinal degradation via coadministration of an inhibitor of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, the rate-limiting enzyme in 5-FU catabolism. The oral fluoropyrimidines currently in development result in prolonged exposure to 5-FU and, therefore, have the potential to achieve clinical benefits similar to those seen with protracted intravenous infusions of 5-FU, but without the cost, complications, and inconvenience of ambulatory infusion pumps. This review describes several oral fluoropyrimidine regimens with activity in colorectal cancer: capecitabine (Xeloda), tegafur, UFT, S-1, and eniluracil plus 5-FU. An understanding of the distinct mechanisms of action and toxicity patterns of each regimen may ultimately guide treatment selection when multiple choices become available.
authors.affiliation: Temple University Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Damjanov
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Meropol
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001682:Biological Availability; D000069287:Capecitabine; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003657:Decision Making; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D005641:Tegafur; C073482:eniluracil; D014498:Uracil; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil