[Suspected dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency in a patient receiving capecitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy after colon resection].

We report here the case of a 75-year-old male patient who developed severe side effects after treatment with capecitabine (Xeloda®) that he received as adjuvant chemotherapy. He was suspected to have partial dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency. The patient underwent sigmoidectomy for sigmoid cancer and was treated with capecitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy. He was admitted to our hospital 14 days after the start of treatment with appetite loss, diarrhea, and a high body temperature. After admission, he developed severe neurotoxicity (Grade 4). We measured the DPD activity in peripheral mononuclear cells, which indicated partial DPD deficiency.