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Hi @jnb, welcome. Topical fluorouracil (5-FU) is commonly used to treat skin lesions after surgery for basal cell cancer. The changes you are experiencing, like itching, burning, angry red areas, raised bumps, are also common.
You can read more in this article:
- Fluorouracil cream (DermNet) https://dermnetnz.org/topics/5-fluorouracil-cream
@mermaid7272 @gingerw @shamrock5jeg may also be able to share their experiences with 5-FU cream.
As to your question about whether to apply the cream only to raised scabs or also to flat, brown skin discolorations. I'm not sure. This is a question for your doctor. Are you able to contact them through a patient portal or by phone? Does your insurance help cover the cost of the cream?
Replies to "Hi @jnb, welcome. Topical fluorouracil (5-FU) is commonly used to treat skin lesions after surgery for..."
Thank you very much for your reply. The DermNet link was very helpful.
I will call my dermatologist tomorrow to clarify how much area to treat.
With this treatment, it appears that one must get worse before one gets better, so it’s helpful to know that the changes I’m seeing are normal.
My drug insurance has a high deductible that I must pay before it begins to pay a portion of the cost.I’m on my second tube and should trigger some help for my third tube.
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Sorry, but I've never been treated with 5-FU cream, in fact, I've never heard of it. My skin cancers were all surgically removed.