Efudex is a brand name for a topical skin growth treatment known generically as fluorouracil. Doctors prescribe it for both benign skin growths and malignant tumors. It works by preventing the growth of skin cells, thereby killing the cells of any affected area to which the patient applies it. The manufacturer boasts that more than 14 million prescriptions have been issued for Efudex over the last 30 years. Regardless of purpose, treatment with Efudex requires topical application twice a day. Length of treatment time depends on the presence of malignancy and size of the treated area.
Treat your skin lesions twice a day, preferably morning and evening. Wash the area of skin overgrowth with either mild soap and water or a physician-prescribed cleansing solution. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly and put on disposable gloves.
Apply enough Efudex cream to completely cover the affected area of skin. Complete coverage is important so the medicine can penetrate and stop the growth of all skin cells in the area of overgrowth. For cancer patients, untreated cells will proliferate and possibly metastasize.
Wash the remaining Efudex cream from the gloves to prevent healthy skin from touching the medication. Unless your doctor recommends otherwise, cover the treated skin area with breathable, porous gauze that will allow oxygen to pass through. Discard gloves.
Repeat this process again at night before bedtime. Apply Efudex this way over the course of the prescribed treatment period. During the first week, the areas of Efudex-treated skin will appear red and inflamed. This indicates that the medicine is working. Benign skin growth may require Efudex application for two to four weeks while three to six weeks of medicine may be necessary for cancerous tumors.
Attend physician-scheduled follow-up visits. Your doctor will make the ultimate determination if your topical applications have been sufficient. You will be evaluated for skin exfoliation. Long after your prescription has ended, the skin's healing process will continue and result in the formation of new skin within one to three months after the last Efudex application.