What is it about?
DPD testing has been implemented and applied in routine in >210 head and neck cancer patients scheduled for a 5-FU-based therapy. When DPD defiency was detected using a simple functional testing, 5-FU dosing was reduced accordingly. DPD deficient patients had an average 20% cut in dosing (range 15-50%) as compared with other patients. Despite this reduction in dosing, no difference was oberved in response rates between the groups. Overall, less than 10% of early severe toxicities were observed, a value markedly lower than the figures usually reported in head and neck cancer patients.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
This study demonstrates that implementing routine DPD testing is feasible in medical oncology and clinically relevant to limit the risk of severe toxicities in 5-FU patients. Importantly, cut in dosing did not impede treatment efficacy.
Perspectives
This study calls for a generalization of routine DPD-testing as a means to secure the administration of 5-FU.
joseph ciccolini
Aix-Marseille Universite
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Upfront DPD Deficiency Detection to Secure 5-FU Administration: Part 2- Application to Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients, Clinical Cancer Drugs, January 2018, Bentham Science Publishers,
DOI: 10.2174/2212697x04666170817123425.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
