Chemotherapy cream or immunotherapy cream to treat skin cancer

Chemotherapy is an anti-cancer treatment used to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy cream or lotion can be applied directly onto the skin cancer. This is called topical chemotherapy.

Usually a drug called fluorouracil (Efudix®) is used to treat some early superficial basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Fluorouracil is sometimes called 5FU.

The treatment should make the skin red and inflamed. The area may become sore and leak fluid. If the skin reaction is particularly severe, the treatment may be paused or sometimes stopped.

Your doctor may prescribe a steroid cream to help with the inflammation. The skin usually takes about 2 weeks to fully heal after you finish the treatment. But it can take longer.

Try to protect the treated area from the sun, as it can make the inflammation worse. Usually, there are no other side effects with this type of chemotherapy.

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