Doxifluridine

**Semantic type:** Nucleic Acid, Nucleoside, or Nucleotide|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A fluoropyrimidine derivative and oral prodrug of the antineoplastic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with antitumor activity. Doxifluridine, designed to circumvent the rapid degradation of 5-FU by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in the gut wall, is converted into 5-FU in the presence of pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase. 5-FU interferes with DNA synthesis and subsequent cell division by reducing normal thymidine production and interferes with RNA transcription by competing with uridine triphosphate for incorporation into the RNA strand.

**Synonyms:** - 5'-Deoxy-5-fluorouridine - 5-DFUR - DOXIFLURIDINE