Severe and Late Acute Liver Injury Induced by Capecitabine

Capecitabine (CAP) is an antineoplastic agent that is known to cause mild hepatotoxicity. However, severe and late acute liver injury was not reported previously as an adverse reaction of CAP. This report discusses the case of a 63-year-old man with colon cancer who was receiving the fifth cycle of CAP as a monotherapy and presented with fatigue and jaundice during the fifth cycle of CAP. Laboratory tests showed markedly elevated transaminases (aspartate transaminase: 2,448 U/L; alanine transaminase: 1,984 U/L). Eventually, discontinuation of CAP was enough to reverse the delayed CAP-induced acute hepatic injury in clinical and laboratory terms.