What is the drug 5-FU used for?
FLUOROURACIL, 5-FU (flure oh YOOR a sil) is a chemotherapy drug. It slows the growth of cancer cells. This medicine is used to treat many types of cancer like breast cancer, colon or rectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and stomach cancer.
Is 5-fluorouracil an antineoplastic drug?
5-Fluorouracil has antineoplastic activity and is a valuable drug especially for the treatment of tumors of the colon or rectum, but it has a wider application in cancer chemotherapy.
What class of drug is 5-fluorouracil?
Fluorouracil is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It works by killing fast-growing cells such as the abnormal cells in actinic keratoses and basal cell carcinoma.
What is 5-fluorouracil mechanism of action?
Mechanism of action 5-FU acts in several ways, but principally as a thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitor. Interrupting the action of this enzyme blocks synthesis of the pyrimidine thymidylate (dTMP), which is a nucleotide required for DNA replication.
What are side effects of fluorouracil?
Fluorouracil may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- loss of appetite.
- nausea.
- unusual tiredness or weakness.
- dizziness.
- headache.
- hair loss.
- dry and cracked skin.
- vision changes.
Do you lose your hair with 5-FU?
Your hair may get thinner. But you are unlikely to lose all the hair from your head. Hair loss usually starts after your first or second treatment. It is almost always temporary, and your hair will usually grow back after treatment finishes.
Does 5-FU cause hair loss?
Does 5FU cause hair loss?
5-Fluorouracil 5-FU, Efudex: How to use this treatment When applied topically, it is not absorbed into the blood stream. Therefore it does NOT cause the typical chemotherapy side effects such as hair loss, etc. It is SAFE to your body.
How long can you take 5FU?
You will need to use this medicine for 2 to 6 weeks. This may be longer depending on the condition being treated. You may not see full healing for another 1 to 2 months after you stop using the medicine. Treated areas of skin can look unsightly during and for several weeks after treatment with this medicine.
How does 5-FU act as an anticancer agent?
The fluoropyrimidine 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite drug that is widely used for the treatment of cancer, particularly for colorectal cancer. 5-FU exerts its anticancer effects through inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) and incorporation of its metabolites into RNA and DNA.
Is fluorouracil safe to use?
The chance of severe and sometimes deadly side effects is raised in patients who do not have the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) in the body. These include mouth irritation or sores, diarrhea, low white blood cell counts, or nerve problems. This drug can be harmful and even deadly to pets.