Table 2 Comparison of 5-fluorouracil-related enzyme levels in primary tumours between patients with and without metastasis in colorectal cancer*
Enzyme
DPDOPRTTSTKTPdUTPase
Patients with metastasis (%)17 (6/35)83 (29/35)20 (7/35)26 (9/35)9 (3/35)54 (19/35)
Patients with no metastasis (%)45 (9/20)60 (12/20)5 (1/20)0 (0/20)0 (0/20)15 (3/20)
Fisher’s exact test, p value0.0330.1060.2340.0190.2930.005
  • *Fisher’s exact test was applied to 2×2 tables defined by marker status (+/−) and metastasis status to test the null hypothesis that the odds ratio was unity.

  • DPD, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase; dUTPase, deoxyuridine triphosphatase; OPRT, orotate phosphoribosyl transferase; TK, thymidine kinase; TP, thymidine phosphorylase; TS, thymidylate synthase.