The fluoropyrimidine antimetabolites were employed in a wide range of neopl
astic diseases. In particular, 8-fluorouracil in association with other che
motherapeutic agents, or biochemical modulators was successfully used in th
e treatment of colorectal, gastric, breast, head and neck cancers. With thi
s type of chemotherapy, a response rate less than or equal to 20% was obtai
ned in gastrointestinal tumors, without a statistically significant impact
on the overall survival.
UFT is a combination of tegafur an uracil, which has the important advantag
e of an improved oral bioavailability, if we compare it with B-fluorouracil
. Uracil, avoiding the fluoropyrimidine degradation inside the tumor cells,
increases the permanence of the metabolically active fluropyrimidine into
the target cell, so having an improvement in the therapeutic activity.
A very large spectrum of cancers were treated with this molecule. In partic
ular, a response rate in the range of 20-40% was observed in the treatment
of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Phase III trials are ongoing to evaluate the advantage on 5-FU of this new
fluoropyrimidine in terms of clinical efficacy, and quality of life, consid
ering the possibility to administer it orally.