5-Fluorouracil에 의한 뇌병증을 경험한 직장암 환자에서 Capecitabine으로 성공적으로 치료한 1예

Successful Treatment with Capecitabine after a History of 5-Fluorouracil Induced Encephalopathy in a Patient with Rectal Cancer

Capecitabine is a prodrug of a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) that is converted to 5-FU inside the tumor cells. Here, we report a case of 5-FU induced encephalopathy which was subsequently treated with capecitabine without any neurologic complication. A 76-year-old man with rectal adenocarcinoma received chemotherapy, which consisted of 5-FU, leucovorin and oxaliplatin after resection of the primary and metastatic masses. Confusion and agitation were observed during the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy and reappeared during 4th cycle. Both events were completely disappeared within a few days. Capecitabine was administered for 4 cycles without any neurologic toxicity. Capecitabine could be an alternative in patients experiencing 5-FU induced encephalopathy.