Skin cancer: Has anybody had fluorouracil treatment?

@tdebbie Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! As to buzzing off the rest of your hair, it depends on how you feel about this? Are you ready/concerned how it might grow back? Perhaps a larger area so you have a spot to apply the medication plus a margin?

Good luck on what you decide, and please let me know?
Ginger

Hi Ginger,

I discussed this with my daughter and she thought the same thing. Buzz it off where it will be applied to the length of the spot already cut. It is currently about 1/4" long there so it makes no difference if there is more. I had to get over this when I took that bandage off and saw the state of my scalp. I have become much more comfortable with this in the past few weeks, at the end of the day its just hair and hopefully it will grow back quickly. This makes sense and will make it easier to apply the medication twice a day. It will also help when the skin starts to flake off. Does this medication stay where you apply it?
I am very concerned about my dog where he is very affectionate and will be wearing a hat while I am using this medication to be sure that he does not come in contact with it. Thank you for responding so quickly, I will pick up the medication tomorrow.
Best,
Debbie

Sounds like she prescribed you the drops so that you don’t need to buzz off more of your hair. Since this might become something you do every two years or so, I don’t think you should have to shave your head every time you do it. I am basically always using the cream somewhere on my body for maintenance. Per doctors orders. Fluorouracil mixed with calcipotriene. Good luck!

Thank you for your reply, I am a newbie with this. I did cut the hair just to be sure that it does not travel anywhere and it was easier to apply it to the top of my scalp. The hair was already cut because of a recent surgery and it is now all the same length on the top. I have to spread it around with my gloved hand so it is not getting on the longer hair. I am very concerned to have it where my dog might be exposed to it. Maybe I am being a little over the top but I don't want to take a chance.
He is locked out of my room and bathroom for the time being. I will see where things stand if I have to do it again and will already have experience with this medication. The last spot on my face I had frozen off rather than the cream.

@tdebbie I have only had the topical cream. I wasn't aware of a solution. I will have to look into this. I currently have a tiny nodular basal cell on my scalp just a little ways up from my forehead. I was scheduled last week to have it cut out, but had to cancel because of some other health issues that I currently have going on. I've had two others done as well. One at my temple, and one on my forehead right at my hairline. These have all popped up in under 2 year's time. The most recent ones in less than 6 months of each other. How did the ones on your scalp heal? Has the scarring been minimal?

Hi Marie,
I understand how you feel, the spots on my scalp are popping up all at once as well. The two surgeries on my scalp are scars for sure but your hair should cover them. You will be the only one who notices them. It depends on what direction they have to make the incision to how well the scar will blend in. It's too early to tell you how the drops are working. I am on day 7 now and the skin has not started to peel . I am applying 4 drops to the entire crown of my head and my biggest side effect is that I am more tired than usual. Sounds like you would only need one drop for your current spot. Everyone is different but I would prefer the treatment over surgery on my scalp. The spots on my scalp are "pre cancerous" and not to the point of where the doctor wants to biopsy them. We are trying to be proactive where I have had three areas so far. You won't need to cut your hair for the drops, I decided to cut more of mine where I already had a good patch cut and it is making it a lot easier to apply the drops to a larger area. Hope this helps and be well.
Best,
Debbie

My husband uses it on chin and scalp. You need to stay with it until scabs form then use the cooling cream they should prescribed. Not pleasant but better than the options . It works.

Hi,
I have used that product with great success. What I learned was to stop applying it at the first site of blood.

I'm 11 days into my 2nd time to use fluorouracil. 1st time was about 4 years ago. This time I'm to use twice a day for three weeks covering chest and face. Both times my chin is like raw meat & extremely painful. Burns as bad, or worse, as any of the serious sunburns I've had over my lifetime. The places I'd thought would be blistered have none, like my forehead or nose. I can't remember my chin ever being burned. I started covering my face in Aquaphor healing balm yesterday and I'm not hurting half as bad. I don't recommend using the Aquaphor without consulting your doctor. I'm waiting to hear from mine today.

The calcipotriene cost over $300.00 and my insurance doesn't cover. I've heard the fluorouracil work much better with the combination, but fluorouracil is over $50.00 a tube, with insurance & I'll end up using probably 3 tubes.