Prevention of 5-fluorouracil –induced early severe toxicity by pre-therapeutic dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency screening: The multiparametric approach is not convincing

Life-threatening toxicities induced by widely-prescribed fluoropyrimidines remain a critical issue. Despite the accumulation for decades of evidence showing that dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency is a leading cause of 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-related toxicities [1 –3], there is still no consensus on the best strategy for identifying patients at risk. Upfront DPD screening has been recommended by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium [4], as well as by several national societies of biologists such as the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association, the Italian Society of Pharmacology, and the French Groupe de Pharmacologie Clinique Oncologique (GPCO)-Unicancer group [5].
Source: Seminars in Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research