What Causes Inflammation On Face After Applying 5-flourouricil?

Posted on Mon, 10 Mar 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 Answered on

Mon, 7 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I was treated with 5-flourouricil for basal cell carcinoma. I now have a red face . How long will it take before I get normal colored skin. The treatment covered my whole face

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (32 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Irritant reaction;topical steroid e.g fluticasone Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic. I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your query and I have understood it. 5-Fluorouracil is used to treat superficial basal cell carcinomas as well as Actinic keratosis. One can expect a great deal of inflammation with this treatment. It can cause irritation commonly seen as redness and sometimes crusting at the site of application. If I was the treating doctor, I would have advised you to use a moderately potent topical steroid e.g fluticasone, twice daily over the whole affected area (irritation) for 5-7 days, which should make it fine. regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar