Efudex

What is this medication? Efudex is a topical prescription cream that contains the active ingredient fluorouracil, which belongs to a class of medications known as antimetabolites. It is most commonly used to treat actinic or solar keratoses, which are rough, scaly patches on the skin caused by years of sun exposure. These growths are considered precancerous, and treating them with this medication helps to eliminate abnormal cells before they have the chance to develop into more serious forms of skin cancer.

The medication is also utilized for the treatment of a specific type of skin cancer known as superficial basal cell carcinoma when other surgical methods are not ideal. It works by blocking the growth of rapidly dividing cells, specifically targeting the abnormal ones while sparing healthy tissue to a greater extent. During the course of treatment, the skin typically becomes red, irritated, and crusty as the medication clears away the damaged cells to allow for the growth of healthy new skin.