The effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) ointment in the treatment of neoplastic dermatoses

Evaluation of the tolerability and safety of a 0.015% ingenol mebutate gel compared to 5% 5-fluorouracil cream for the treatment of facial actinic keratosis: a prospective randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Five per cent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream is a well-established treatment for actinic keratosis (AK), and ingenol mebutate gel (IMB) is a novel topical field-directed therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the tolerability and safety of IMB with that of 5-FU for the treatment of facial AK.

METHODS

An open-label, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial with 100 patients with AKs within a 25-cm(2) contiguous field on the face was conducted. IMB was applied daily for three consecutive days. 5-FU was applied twice a day for 4 weeks. The treatment effect and the adverse events were evaluated at baseline and on days 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36 and 43 for intent-to-treat populations.

RESULTS

The mean (± SD) maximum local skin reactions (LSR) for patients treated with IMB was 10.85 (± 3.12), compared with 10.86 (± 3.55) for those who received 5-FU. Patients in the IMB group presented LSR that peaked at day 4 and almost completely regressed after 15 days. Differently, in the 5-FU group, the LSR peaked at day 29 and lasted until visit 36. Additionally, the area under the curve (LSR × visit) was significantly smaller for IMB. No differences between the treatments for pruritus, pain, tearing, conjunctival hyperaemia or headaches were noted, but the eyelid oedema rate was higher for IMB group. No significant difference in the proportion of dropouts was observed between groups. Both treatments demonstrated a suitable safety profile.

CONCLUSION

For treating AKs, the local skin reactions in the IMB group were more short-lived compared with those of 5-FU, but both treatments seemed to be safe and tolerable.

Topical pharmacotherapy for skin cancer: part I. Pharmacology

Topical pharmacotherapy represents an effective alternative treatment for superficial skin cancer, primarily actinic keratoses and basal cell carcinomas. We provide an in-depth analysis of the pharmacologic aspects of available topical drugs for the treatment of primary skin tumors. In particular, we evaluate the mechanisms of action, formulations and indications, side effects, and contraindications of 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, diclofenac, ingenol mebutate, and retinoids. Moreover, the characteristics of some investigational molecules (ie, resiquimod, piroxicam, dobesilate, and betulinic acid) are presented.

Topical pharmacotherapy for skin cancer: part II. Clinical applications

The purpose of the paper is to provide an in-depth, evidence-based analysis of the clinical use of topical treatments for skin cancer. A comprehensive review of topical drugs has been performed, including 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, diclofenac, ingenol mebutate, retinoids, resiquimod, piroxicam, dobesilate, and betulinic acid. The evaluated studies were rated according to their level of evidence level (I-V), as indicated by recent guidelines for evidence-based medicine, The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence. Therapeutic response is generally related to tumor type, extent, and localization, and also to patient compliance. Careful patient selection is required in order to achieve the desired goal of complete tumor clearance.

Treatment of periungual vitiligo with Erbium-YAG-laser plus 5-flurouracil: a left to right comparative study

Despite the multiple treatment modalities available for vitiligo, none of them gives satisfactory results in the periungual type. In this study we tried to explore and evaluate the effects of the combination treatment of erbium:YAG laser resurfacing and topical 5-flurouracil in periungual vitiligo. Nine adult patients presenting with periungual vitiligo lesions were included in this prospective left-right comparative study. The desirable inflammation was achieved after a mean of 4.7 days of 5-flurouracil application. The mean re-epithelization time in the treatment sessions was 11.3 days. The patients received a mean of 3.4 sessions in a mean duration of 7.6 months. The mean overall response to therapy in the treated group was 47.8% while in the control group it was 1.1% (P < 0.0001). No side effects necessitated the stoppage of treatment. This study points to the efficacy and safety of this combination in the treatment of periungual vitiligo.

The actinic keratosis. A perspective and update

BACKGROUND

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common sun-induced precancerous neoplasm confined to the epidermis. It is the initial manifestation of a continuum of clinical and histologic abnormalities that progresses to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a disorder that accounts for thousands of preventable deaths in America each year.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this work is to describe the actinic keratosis.

METHODS

This effort was performed by a literature review and analysis.

RESULTS

Like SCCs, the vast majority of AKs are asymptomatic. Although some actinic keratoses may become clinically inapparent, possibly either due to immune rejection or simply having their external surface unknowingly scraped off, an untreated AK represents a potentially curable fatal cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Each AK should be treated before it progresses to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Destructive modalities such as cryosurgery using liquid nitrogen and electrodesiccation and curettage are the mainstays of therapy. Each case must be individualized.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this article, participant should be able to: 1. Understand the concept of an actinic keratosis. 2. Learn how to recognize its clinical manifestations. 3. Be aware of the danger it poses as an easily curable papulonodule that may become a fatal cancer.

Giant seborrheic keratosis on the frontal scalp treated with topical fluorouracil

Giant seborrheic keratosis was observed on the frontal scalp of a 44-year-old man. The lesion was successfully treated with topical fluorouracil.

Cryosurgery and topical fluorouracil: a treatment method for widespread basal cell epithelioma in basal cell nevus syndrome

A 58-year-old man with basal cell nevus syndrome had variously sized basal cell epitheliomas (BCEs), mostly of the superficial type, on his chest, back, and lumbar areas. BCEs on the lumbar area were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream which was applied daily under occlusive dressings (ODT). Complete erosion occurred in the center, but not at the periphery of the lesions. In the latter regions, BCE remained. Then cryosurgery (cryo) followed by topical 5-FU (cryo + 5-FU) was tried to treat the peripheral, non-eroded lesions; this caused complete erosions. Biopsy specimens obtained 6 months after epithelization did not show any evidence of recurrence. We also tried either cryo alone or cryo + 5-FU on the chest lesions, and either 5-FU alone or cryo + 5-FU on the abdominal lesions. Cryo alone or 5-FU alone could not clear BCE, but cryo + 5-FU could. These results suggest that the cryo + 5-FU was the most effective of these therapies.

Long-term management of basal cell nevus syndrome with topical tretinoin and 5-fluorouracil

The case of a child with basal cell nevus syndrome whose condition was successfully managed for 10 years with a combination of topical 5-fluorouracil and tretinoin is reported. The concurrent use of these two agents prevented the development of new tumors, inhibited the growth of existing tumors, and caused the regression of superficially invasive basal cell carcinomas.

Enhancing effect of combining two pyrrolidone vehicles on transdermal drug delivery

The enhancing effect of combining 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (MP) and 1-lauryl-2-pyrrolidone (LP) as the vehicles for transdermal penetration of phenolsulphonphthalein (phenol red) has been investigated by using an in-vitro technique with excised rat skin. LP had a higher enhancing effect on the penetration of phenol red than MP, but there was a long lag time before steady-state penetration was attained. A potent effect with a shorter lag time was obtained when MP and LP were used together. This potentiation was maintained when the concentration of MP was decreased by 95%. The combined vehicle also enhanced the skin accumulation of phenol red. MP promoted the rapid penetration of LP into the skin and potentiated the enhancing effect of LP on the penetration of phenol red and thereby shortened the lag time. The combined vehicle also enhanced the penetration of the hydrophilic anticancer agent, 5-fluorouracil.

Chemoprevention of development of colonic adenomatosis and carcinomatosis with 5-fluorouracil and ftorafur on animal model

This study deals with the treatment by chemotherapy of carcinogen-induced tumors in the colon of rats. These tumors mimic colonic adenomatosis and carcinomatosis in man. The rats were given an intrarectal (i.r.) instillation of methylnitrosourea for producing colonic tumors, and thereafter received a long-term chemotherapy which was started on nascent microscopic lesions of carcinoma. The colonic tumor incidence was significantly lower in rats treated for 10 weeks than in untreated rats. An inhibition rate of tumor development was 100% in rats with i.r. doses of 5-FU, or 57% in rats with intraperitoneal (i.p.) doses of Ftorafur. However, it was found that a few microscopic lesions of carcinoma were still present in the normal-appearing colonic mucosa, even after the completion of the effective treatment. The 10-week cessation of the treatment following the 5-week chemotherapy permitted the tumor development. The results indicate that the nascent microscopic lesions of carcinoma (premalignant lesions) in the colon can be inhibited or regulated from developing into grossly visible tumors by the effective chemotherapy, i.e., intermittent and/or long-term treatment with sensitive chemotherapeutic agents and effective way of administration.

Chemoprevention of development of colonic adenomatosis and carcinomatosis with intrarectal dose of 5-FU on animal model

This study concerns the treatment by chemotherapy of carcinogenically-induced cancers in the colons of rats. These cancers mimic adenomatosis and carcinomatosis in humans. We believed that they could be prevented or regulated from growing into grossly visible tumors by the intrarectal administration of 5-fluorouracil if the treatment was started on nascent cancers. The incidence of colon carcinoma and the number of tumors per rat were significantly lower in rats treated by this method than in the control rats. Furthermore, some of the small tumors visible by endoscopy disappeared with treatment. This beneficial effect appeared to be due to the direct delivery of an active form of anticancer drug administered in high concentration to the target lesions in the colon mucosa, and carried fewer side effects when compared to other parenteral administrations.