Department of Oncology, CHC Clinique Saint-Joseph, Liège, Belgium former position
Department of Gastro-Enterology, Clinique Saint-Joseph, Liege, Belgium
S. Maréchal MD, G. Houbiers MD, M-P. Graas MD, C. Focan MD, PhD
Summary
5-Fluorouracil is an antimetabolite frequently used in the treatment of digestive cancers. Outside well-known side effects, it may induce cardiac toxicity under various clinical forms, from chest pain to arrhythmia, or even cardiac arrest, pericarditis being one of the most uncommon.1,2 We report here the case of a 52-year-old man who developed pericarditis symptoms after continuous 5-fluorouracil infusions.
M-P. Graas MD, G. Demolin MD, G. Houbiers MD, P. Gomez , C. Focan MD, PhD
Summary
We report the case of a woman treated for an ovarian cancer who ultimately developed terminal renal failure in the frame of a haemolytic uraemic syndrome induced by prolonged gemcitabine therapy. This case illustrates the need of a systematic screening for haemolytic uraemic syndrome in patients receiving protracted gemcitabine for over three months.