A case of gastric cancer in which long-term administration of 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine proved effective

A patient diagnosed with Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer (mucinous adenocarcinoma), who had refused surgery, was treated by oral administration of 1200 mg/day 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine for about 23 weeks. This resulted in substantial improvement of her condition, i.e. the tumour almost completely disappeared, distensibility improved between the central region of the corpus ventriculi and the angulus, and only small protrusions remained on the anterior and posterior walls and the pars pylorica of the lesser curvature. Mild anorexia and diarrhoea were noted as adverse reactions although these symptoms subsided by reducing the dose or temporarily stopping treatment, thereby allowing long-term treatment. Long-term use of 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine proved temporarily effective in this patient. The patient died about 3 years and 7 months after starting therapy. Examination showed that the cancer had been mainly in the stomach and that it had metastasized to the colon and pancreas. The liver was free of metastasis.