Dynamic change of serum UFT concentration in a patient with tongue cancer complicating chronic renal failure

To evaluate the effect of UFT as a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent for a patient with tongue cancer complicating chronic renal failure, we measured a dynamic change of serum tegafur (FT), 5-FU and uracil concentrations in hemodialysis. When the patient administered 200 mg of UFT orally one hr before hemodialysis, serum 5 FU concentration was 0.051 micrograms/ml at the beginning of hemodialysis, then rapidly increased to 0.396 micrograms/ml at maximum one hr later and thereafter decreased to the initial level after 4 hrs, the end of hemodialysis. Even after hemodialysis, however, 5-FU maintained the effective serum concentration. On the other hand, serum FT and uracil levels showed a slight change during hemodialysis. The maximum concentrations of FT and uracil were 3.154 micrograms/ml and 0.540 micrograms/ml respectively, after 3 hrs of dialysis. We next measured serum levels of 5-FU, FT and uracil during two days without hemodialysis treatment. Although their serum levels were increased after UFT administration, those were decreased to the initial level on the next day, indicating no drug accumulation. These results suggest that UFT was safe and useful as a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent in a cancer patient being performed hemodialysis.