Dr. Anil (Monty) Kapoor was a gifted and world-renowned academic urologic and renal transplant surgeon. He published over 350 journal articles and served as a Full Academic Professor of Surgery (Urology) at McMaster University and as the Director of the Urologic Cancer Centre for Research & Innovation.

 

 

 

Anil learned in January 2023 that he suffered from colon cancer.  He died February 28, 2023 after a single treatment of 5-FU.  Just days after he completed his 48-hour infusion, he started to show signs of a severe 5-FU overdose, but it was unrecognized. Two days later, he sought help at the Emergency Room, and he was released only to return 4 days later at which time he was admitted to the hospital.

 

 

 

Anil continued to quickly deteriorate and was transferred to the intensive care unit within 48 hours, intubated, and tragically died within 2 weeks of admission.

 

 

 

Anil, and even his two brothers who are MD’s, did not understand what was happening and how to prevent this terrible outcome. They were unfamiliar with the overdosing that can occur with 5-FU when patients are not properly pre-tested  for DPD deficiency,  which occurs in a high as 1 in 12 people.

 

 

 

Most studies tied to finding DPD deficiency have focused on European descendants where people carry a variant of the DPYD gene that is associated with low DPD enzyme activity.

 

 

 

Other ethnicities have harmful DPYD variants, but they are less well known and therefore not routinely included in the type of prescreening performed for Anil in Ontario. Anil  carried the c.704G>A  variant.

 

 

 

Full gene sequencing, or simple phenotyping with uracil levels (a measure of DPD enzyme activity) would have found Anil’s deficiency and would have allowed him to receive the appropriately reduced dose level instead of suffering the horrific and fatal effects of overdosing.

 

 

 

Dr. Anil Kapoor left behind many friends, colleagues and family all over the world who remain stunned and saddened by his awful death. His younger brothers, Dr. Vimal (Scott) Kapoor and Dr. Sunil Kapoor,  honor his brother by seeking to prevent overdosing of DPD deficient patients as he calls for greater inclusion of genetic variant testing and improved treatment guidelines.

 

 

 

See Scott’s story of Anil’s case and his recommendation for how to change clinical practice to save lives:

• Dr. Vimal (Scott) Kapoor's video presentation to the US National Academies Nov 2024.
• Dr. Kapoor's slides.

Media reports on Anil's life and death:

• Canadian Broadcasting Network (CBC) video
• CBC written report
• Globe and Mail report
• The Hamilton Spectator report on the "rock star" in the medical profession