Contribution of dihydropyrimidinase gene alterations to the development of serious toxicity in fluoropyrimidine-treated cancer patients.

Purpose: Decreased 5-fluorouracil catabolism has been considered a major factor contributing to fluoropyrimidine (FP)-related toxicity. Alterations in the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene coding for the first and rate-limiting enzyme of FP catabolic pathway could explain toxicity in only a limited proportion of FP-treated patients. The importance of gene variants in dihydropyrimidinase (DPYS) coding for subsequent catabolic enzyme of FP degradation is not fully understood.