Anticancer chemotherapy in a patient with prior history of acute intermittent porphyria

Abstract

We describe the case of a patient with a prior history of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) who needed the administration of anticancer drugs. Our experience with this patient and the limited experience reported in the literature show that it is probably safe to administer some chemotherapeutic agents, but it is important to prevent (or to minimize) the toxicities of these chemotherapeutic agents, as they seem to put the patient at major risk of an AIP crisis. Hematin and supportive treatments were useful treatments in our patient.