Skin cancer: Has anybody had fluorouracil treatment?

I had a squamous carcinoma in situ on my nose and had it removed, but the margins were not completely cleared. The doctor decided to treat with fluorouracil for 6 weeks. There has been considerable redness and tenderness, and I am 5 weeks into the treatment. From readers experience with 6 week therapy, how long is it before the skin looks normal again?

@jultan Personally, I would be careful about using makeup that might block the medication from absorbing into the affected areas. I am not a makeup expert, could you think about using a powder for a time, rather than a liquid as makeup?
Ginger

@dlw950 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Dang, that's too bad the margins were not clear. Perhaps it is because of the location?

Everyone seems to have a similar experience when it comes to "getting back to normal" after using a fluorouracil treatment. In my experience, it was gradual after the treatments stopped, maybe a couple of weeks of lessening redness, then gone. At about the 4 week mark or so, I started using a light moisturizer on my face to help lessen the discomfort, making sure it was sparingly applied.

Have you returned to the doctor for post-procedure follow-up, yet? Have you posted this question to them, and what was their response?
Ginger

The original excision was supposed to be followed by a Mohs surgery, but due to the prominent location, the doctor decided to do the fluorouracil treatment.
I have a follow up, but not for a couple of months. The treatment is on my nose, so I am hoping that I don’t look like
Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer for Christmas.

@dlw950 definitely let the Provider know what’s happening. Did they explain which areas to focus where the margins were not clear?

Some of us with history of skin cancer also have very sensitive skin. In my experience, the 5% was strong enough to kill affected skin in 2 weeks with healing about the same 2 weeks. Also ask which ointment to use for the chemo cream wound care. My derm prescribes Mupirocin after surgery (not Neosporin) so after using chemo cream I use Mupirocin for healing as well.

@chanda79 I was told to use the cream on my entire nose because the lesion was on the side of the tip of my nose. They told me to use aquaphor 20-30 minutes after applying the fluorouracil. That seems to be working well, except the area remains very bright red.

@gingerw I finished my two weeks of rub-a-dubdub last Sunday. My scalp is still a little splotchy so it's hard to tell the overall effect. I do rub some lotion on after showering due to the cold dry weather causing extra drying of my head. We're going to be away on a trip for a few weeks and when we get back I'll start with applying the cream to my neck and shoulders.
Mark

I have been using the Fluorouracil treatment on my forehead for approximately two weeks. It is red, scabby and a little sore. When do I stop the treatment?

@cmorcat Sounds like you are getting results from the treatment! That's always a positive, even if it is more wide-spread than you figured it might be. Yes, keeping the skin moisturized is a great idea. Remember to wear a hat if you will be outdoors. Yesterday I was out in the weather, laying wreaths at a cemetery. It was very cold, foggy. But I had a moisturizer and 46SPF lotion on my face. Just can't be too careful.

I hope your upcoming trip is enjoyable.
Ginger

@terryannecampbell Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! As you have read, there are many of us with our individual stories about fluorouracil ointment.

Please defer to your dermatologist to ask how long to do the treatment. Is there anything on the prescription label that gives you an indication? Some members here are told to do 2 weeks, or 3 weeks, some hear every other day for 4 weeks. If this is your first time using it, your doctor may have told you to watch for certain indicators, then stop.

Usually feeling a bit sore, with the redness and scabby spots, means the treatment has found areas to attack. Always a good thing!
Ginger