An oncologist has a patient with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency.Which of the following is a chemotherapy agent that the doctor should be cautious about using with this patient because of serious side effects?
A) primaquine
B) -alanine
C) 5-dihydrothymine
D) 5-fluorouracil

Question

An oncologist has a patient with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency.Which of the following is a chemotherapy agent that the doctor should be cautious about using with this patient because of serious side effects?
A) primaquine 
B) -alanine 
C) 5-dihydrothymine 
D) 5-fluorouracil

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

5-fluorouracil is a chemotherapy agent that is commonly used to treat various cancers, including breast, colon, and rectal cancers. However, patients with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency are at increased risk of serious side effects from this drug, including severe toxicity and even death. Therefore, caution must be exercised when using 5-fluorouracil with these patients. The other options (A, B, and C) are not typically associated with serious side effects in patients with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency.

An Oncologist Has a Patient with Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Deficiency