EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL USE OF FLUORINATED PYRIMIDINES IN CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY.

Abstract

Summary A review is presented of the clinical applications of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (5-FUDR). This includes biochemical and pharmacological studies of the drugs in cancer patients and emphasizes particularly their distribution and metabolic fate. A critical review of the literature on the chemotherapeutic trials of these compounds has been made, and it is concluded that 5-FU and 5-FUDR are clinically useful in the palliation of patients suffering from advanced cancer. Tumors of the breast and gastrointestinal tract are the most responsive to these drugs.