Cardiotoxicity of 5-Fluorouracil —A Case Report—

Abstract

The authors describe a patient who presented with recurrent chest pain during chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). A 69-year-old man with metastatic lung carcinoma received 5-FU 1500 mg/ day by continuous infusion for 5 days. He developed chest pain during the second and third courses of 5-FU infusion, but there were no ischemic changes on the electrocardiogram. Cardiotoxicity as a rare side effect of 5-FU therapy has been reported, but its etiology remains unclear. The ischemic chest pain and ECG changes observed in most cases suggest that coronary artery spasm may be the cause of 5-FU cardiotoxicity. Although cardiotoxicity is a rare complication of 5-FU therapy, the authors think it is advisable to stop the treatment when chest pain occurs. © 1988, The Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.