About the Alliance
The 5FU Alliance is an alliance of like-minded people whose lives have been affected by the effects of toxicity brought about by the chemotherapy drug 5FU
(5-Fluorouracil) given by injection or intravenously and capecitabine which is the oral form of the drug. This includes people directly affected having received the drug or those whose loved one’s have been affected.
Whilst a genetic test is now available and clinically proven to identify almost all people at risk of toxic effects before they receive chemotherapy, this is still not widely available to patients on the NHS. This means that each year, as many as 5,000 people are put at risk of severe toxic effects and up to 500 people die in the UK.
You can help change this situation:
Our Aim
To promote awareness of the lack of use of available, clinically proven DPYD testing in the UK and to create change to make comprehensive, clinically proven DPYD testing freely available to all cancer patients through the NHS before treatment with 5FU or capecitabine.
To avoid risk of possible death
and severe toxic effects:
“Make comprehensive, clinically proven DPYD testing freely available to all cancer patients through the NHS before treatment with 5FU or capecitabine.”
About 5FU and
DPYD testing
One of the main ways doctors treat cancer is with chemotherapy. This comes in several forms, but one of the most commonly used drugs to treat cancers including breast cancer, head and neck cancers, anal cancer, stomach cancer and colon cancer is called 5FU or capecitabine.
