5-fluorouracil poisoning

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5-fluorouracil poisoning

ORPHA:217064Particular clinical situation in a disease or syndrome

Also called 5-fluorouracil intoxication

What it is

A rare intoxication caused by the prolonged, low-dose administration of 5-fluorouracil, which is the mainstay of both adjuvant and advanced-disease chemotherapy regimens in colon cancer. 5-fluorouracil poisoning is characterized by gastrointestinal (nausea, emesis, diarrhea, anorexia, stomatitis) and hematologic (myelosuppression) toxicities as well as mucositis, alopecia and, occasionally, palmar-plantar dysesthesia (more commonly known as hand-foot syndrome). Women have been reported to experience more 5-fluorouracil-related toxicity than men.

Key facts

Prevalence
1-9 / 100 000 (Europe)
Age of onset
Adult, Elderly
Inheritance
Not applicable
Classified as
Particular clinical situation in a disease or syndrome

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

ICD-10 codes

T45.1filed under a broader ICD-10 category

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references

MONDO 0016312UMLS C0274576

Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.

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