What is Fluorouracil?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Carac Efudex Fluoroplex Show all
See also: CEF protocol Cyclophosphamide-methotrexate-fluorouracil (CMF) FAC protocol FEC-100 protocol FOLFIRI regimen
Fluorouracil is an antineoplastic agent used for the treatment of carcinomas of the breast, colon, head and neck, pancreas, rectum, or stomach; topically it is used for the management of actinic or solar keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinomas.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esophageal cancer | 20 | 0 | |
| Stomach cancer | 15 | 0 | |
| Basal cell skin cancer | 13 | 1 | |
| Squamous cell skin cancer | 10 | 0 | |
| Cervical cancer | 8 | 1 | |
| Colon cancer | 6 | 2 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 | |
| Moderate | 3 | |
| Mild | 1 | |
| None | 0 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Fluorouracil
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Burn | 1 | |
| Fatigue | 1 | |
| Headaches | 1 | |
| Itching | 1 | |
| Liver toxicity | 1 | |
| Mouth sores (ulcers) | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking Fluorouracil
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Course of treatment ended | 9 | |
| Doctor's advice | 3 | |
| Did not seem to work | 1 | |
| Side effects too severe | 1 |
Duration
Stopped taking Fluorouracil
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 2 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 6 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 2 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 1 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 1 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Fluorouracil after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Gemcitabine (Gemzar) | 1 | |
| Imiquimod topical (Aldara) | 1 |
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