5-fluorouracil sensitivity and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity inadvanced gastric cancer

Background: Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the rate-limiting enzy me of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) catabolism. Several studies have demonstrated t he clinical importance of DPD in cancer patients, suggesting that the effic acy of 5-FU may be related to DPD activity in tumor tissue. In the present study, DPD activity and chemosensitivity to 5-FU were evaluated in advanced gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four gastric cancers from 32 patients were studied and chemosensitivity to 5-FU was evaluated by histoc ulture drug response assay. Results and Conclusion: DPD activity and tumor inhibition of 5-FU among all cases showed no significant correlation, but a mong 14 histologically differentiated cases significant correlation was obs erved DPD activity may be useful in determining the 5-FU sensitivity of dif ferentiated gastric cancer.