Anticancer drug distribution in lymph and blood during adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for gastric carcinoma. A study with a combined preparation of 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil and uracil

Previously the authors reported that the fat emulsion of 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil, tegafur (FT-207), yielded significantly higher concentrations of tegafur in the lymph and plasma compared to tegafur enteric-coated granules (FT-G). However, the emulsification did not improve the metabolic conversion rate of tegafur to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). A study was performed to assay the plasma and lymphatic concentrations of tegafur, 5-FU, and uracil in seven patients after radical surgery for gastric carcinoma who were given a combined oral preparation of FT-207 and uracil (UFT). Both lymph and plasma 5-FU levels after UFT were 20 times greater than those after FT-G, although FT-207 levels were not different. Patients given UFT showed significantly greater 5-FU and uracil concentrations in the lymph compared with the plasma. The results of this study suggest a potential use of UFT as an adjuvant postoperative chemotherapeutic agent for gastric carcinoma.