I may be a qualified doctor at this point.

I just started a second round of 5% Fluorouracil cream. After one application per day for seven days, then a seven day rest period, this morning I started two applications a day for seven days.

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/...acil-topical/details

It's going to get pretty ugly apparently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqYUoFCdCQ Right now it just burns and itches, and some discoloration.

I was thinking, if you guys and gal hunted, fished, dove, golfed, and worked outside as much as I did without using sunscreen religiously, you might want to see a dermatologist once a year to scan for skin abnormalities by the time you are 50ish.

I noticed dry, flaky skin on my cheeks and scalp; not cancer, but could be headed in that direction.

(I would post photos, but I don't want to scare you off this website.)

Kensco, Hope the treatment works. Good luck

Aging certainly presents us with multiple challenges. I'm good about wearing a hat/cap and no longer do 'tank tops' when it is hot out now that I live in a strong sun area. That kinda stinks in the summer humidity.

I see a dermatologist twice a year. Invariably he will either freeze off or cut off 3-4 cancerous or precancerous lesions each visit. So far the total skin cancer count is about 9 basal cell and 1 squamous cell cancers and too many precancerous lesions to count. Too much sun exposure before I wised up and started using sun screen…

I've done that treatment 2x in 6 years,really cleans up my noggin. Looks like a melt down,I wasn't bothered by itching too much and was able to sleep at night.Kept a hat on during treatment as not to get the stares.

quote:

I see a dermatologist twice a year. Invariably he will either freeze off or cut off 3-4 cancerous or precancerous lesions each visit. So far the total skin cancer count is about 9 basal cell and 1 squamous cell cancers and too many precancerous lesions to count. Too much sun exposure before I wised up and started using sun screen…

Yep. Me too. Sometimes he wants to see in in three months instead of six. Just one squamous cell cancer as of now. The rest of them have been basal. Going to see the dermatologist in January and I have already identified some potential targets/candidates. Problem is it's just like hearing loss-the damage occurred, for the most part, when we were young and really stupid. Now we pay the price. But it still doesn't hurt to slow down the inevitable by covering up the skin and by using hearing protection.

Since I can’t always remember the lesions I have found prior to derm visits, I start making a list a few weeks before each visit, then take the list with me. The doc gives me the once over then goes over my list. Works well for me.

That makes me think about when I bought this place in the early 70s + we had a bunch of hippie chicks who wanted to come out to the country + garden, etc. They started working in the garden topless, + all It took was just one pass from the helo's from Ft. Hood seeing those girls waving at the pilots + we have been on their flight path ever since.

I've used this cream every few months for years.

Just a month ago read an article about it in the paper.

All this time I never knew: Efudex was a "chemo".
No wonder the effect it does. I have an on going script for a tube every four months.

I've never heard of such applications as you described. I've always treated the various areas twice a day for 21 days is what the derm doc has said.

Most times it takes about ten days to start a reddish skin color to start. It gradually increases until the cancerous tissue scabs over. I keep applying it until the affected areas start to clear up a bit. Sometimes that's 25 days. Other times 18 or so.

Most derm visits end up with me asking him to stop freezing spots. Usually after 40-60 spots. By then I just can't stand anymore of it.

This past year the private derm doc retired so I've started having the VA pill pusher freeze spots at the month or 6 weeks appt. Still, seldom less than 30-40 places. Quite a few on my scalp. So far only the left temple area and my ears have been serious.

Being a pale faced redhead that blistered in 10 minutes I've really caught it hard. Hopefully it won't ever start on my shoulders where it blistered many times.

Both forearms nearly always have a dozen or more spots on each at the monthly-6 week appts. IF there's a flaky spot of skin, that's one to freeze, so are most brown spots that just come on in a short time span.

At times I peel the flakes off and it bruises, or bleeds.

One thing I like about this cream treatment. It has NO effect to skin unless there's cancer cells there, no matter how often it's treated. That's good as you can treat any area you feel may need it. IF after 15-20 days no change has started to show you can stop applying it.

I was a working weldor for about 15 years, besides being a pale face up here in CO "closer to the sun" atmosphere. This is just how I've been told to use this stuff and had lots of experience with it. fluoroflouricil or some such spelling. Commonly known as Efudex. Spoken as it looks: F U Dex.

George

I'm thinking I will have half a tube left over when I finish the treatment. I may use that on the back of my hands.

My doctor prescribed it to me and didn't warn me about the results. I used it on both arms and my face. After a couple of days my face and arms were one BIG SCAB! I couldn't go out of the house because I was scared of frightening kids.

WORKED THOUGH----NOW I AM AS HANDSOME AS EVER !

Hip

Funny though that you mention scaring kids. A buddy of mine who is now a Wilco deputy was burned as a child with a tub of gas in his father's garage + he is all scar tissue, but has a good mental attitude. For grins, on Halloween night he goes down to Elm Street in Georgetown with a slouch hat + a glove with fake razor fingers + jumps out from behind trees at the kids. I told him, "Barry you're a cop, why are you scaring these kids?" He said, Aw they love it.

Finished the last day of treatment yesterday. I look a lot like Freddy Krueger from "A Nightmare on Elm Street".

I needed to go out today, and because my face is now super sensitive to the sun's rays, I put on sunscreen. Don't ever do that at the end of the treatment. It was like pouring rubbing alcohol on an open wound. Wear a hat, cover your face with a mask. I put out that fire with cold compresses.

The pharmacist at Walgreen's recommended any of the 1% Hydrocortisone creams. I had some Aveeno and bought some Cortizone-10. I question whether they will do much good. Tylenol doesn't help much. Just going to tough it out for a few weeks, or months.

5FU works on any rapidly dividing cell.

So that is how it’s supposed to work on cancerous/precancerous cells.

It can be quite painful and ugly, especially if you have extensive areas of damage… and don’t get it in your eyes or mouth!

If you can take an anti inflammatory it will probably relieve the discomfort better than Tylenol.

The hydrocortisone takes away some of the inflammation- but the inflammation is part of getting rid of the precancerous cells. I’d probably put up with it without the hydrocortisone.

Ignore skin cancer and you will end up with surgery (at best) as opposed to freezing or the topical treatment…

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
5FU works on any rapidly dividing cell.

So that is how it’s supposed to work on cancerous/precancerous cells.

It can be quite painful and ugly, especially if you have extensive areas of damage… and don’t get it in your eyes or mouth!

If you can take an anti inflammatory it will probably relieve the discomfort better than Tylenol.

The hydrocortisone takes away some of the inflammation- but the inflammation is part of getting rid of the precancerous cells. I’d probably put up with it without the hydrocortisone.

Ignore skin cancer and you will end up with surgery (at best) as opposed to freezing or the topical treatment…

Is this the stuff made from Euphorbia Peplus?