Pharmacokinetic changes of 5-fluorouracil absorption after subtotal gastrectomy

It has been well-known that gastric resection can influence on the absorption of nutrients. It is also assumed that gastric resection can change the pharmacokinetics of drug absorption. Adjuvant chemotheraphy is required after gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer patients. Oral 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) derivatives have been widely prescribed for gastrectomised gastric cancer patients in Korea. We studied the pharmacokinetic changes of 5-fluorouracil absorption after gastric resection. We could found that the absorption of 5-FU signifiacntly decreased after subtotal gastrectomy by 74.2 +/- 14.8 %, and that tile subtotal gastrectomy did not have an effect on tile absorptive velosity of 5-FU.