Comments on: Skin Cancer Treatment

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:57:53 +0000

Carac v. Efudex – is there a difference? Most of these posts mention Effudex 2x/day for between 2 and 4 weeks. I have just been prescribed Carac 1x/day for 4 weeks, and it’s .05% strength (as opposed to the Effudex strength of .5). Can this be right, with one being 10x as strong as the other?

By: Silk Flowers

Silk Flowers — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:34:01 +0000

Get some sun, but not too much. Because ultraviolet rays in sunlight slow the growth of skin cells, getting moderate doses of sun is a good idea. However, make sure they’ re brief— about 20 minutes or so. Use sunscreen if you’ re out in the sun for any longer period of time. Remember that sunburn can make your psoriasis worse, and too much sun raises your risk of skin cancer. If you’ re on medication that makes your skin more sensitive to ultraviolet rays as part of your phototherapy, ask your doctor about…

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:24:48 +0000

Hi Sandra,

I think everyone has that reaction. Especially the itchy part. You have to be very careful not to rub or itch around your eyes when you have traces of Efudex on your fingers.

You must be near the end of your treatment regimen. That is always the worse part. You have to remind yourself that soon it will be over and your skin will be smooth and cancer free.

Hang in there.
—Bill

By: Sandra

Sandra — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:11:38 +0000

Thanks for this blog. I’m on the 16th day of Efudex 5%. I’m applying to my forehead and chest and all the misery that entails. My eyes are swollen and itchy. Has anyone else had this reaction?

By: aughra

aughra — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:25:38 +0000

I found your blog by google image searching skin cancer. I just put the fear of God in my eight year old after he spent the day at my in-law’s pool, and was lax about sunscreen. Thank you for sharing your story, and best wishes.

By: Hamish

Hamish — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:51:06 +0000

I recognized an AK on my head – lumpy and thick… went to the Derm, and he froze it off. We both acknowledged that if I have this on big spot, statistically, there must be others, as yet unblossomed. So, he looked around my mostly bald head and found one other spot that was a possible, and froze that. He did not freeze one other that seemed in the middle … but whatever. So, he prescribed Effudex in a very limited scope … only on the two spots he froze. NOT the whole head, as with most of the wonderfully strong and open bloggers on your excellent site.

i was prescribed daily on these two spots for 4 weeks = 28 applications. reading above, I infer there are other programs: 2x weekly for 10 weeks (20 applications), and sometimes 2x daily for 2 weeks (totaling 28). so, i take from this that between 20 and 30 applications gets the “desired” (??) effect.

we are traveling as a family to Europe in July, and so I need the gross part of this to be over by then, so … i have self-prescribed 2x daily, and added that one spot I think is a possible AK.

I am on day 7, with no visible effects yet. I am waiting for the penny to drop.

Question: Is it actually the case that “fine” or normal skin is unaffected? Said another way, if I applied Effudex to, say, my kneecap, I could do that and there would not be any redness, swelling or inflammation? I ask because I expect that my derm is running a test on my skin with these two spots to see if (a) i can take it, and (b) if there really are other skin bits that need attacking. if these spots blow up, then i will almost certainly have to undergo the whole-head treatment.

i am also confused by some comments here … in some places it says one treatment, fully deployed, and one will be “cancer free”. then in some other cases, the patients are on their 2nd or third treatment. This is contradictory. i sense that some of the patients bail on the process because of the pain too early. and as a result, the treatment is not 100% effective.

To stop taking this stuff, because it has done enough, is to suggest that the drug is not smart enough to quit on its own. better said, if this stuff does not effect normal skin, then to get the full job done, it should be used until there is no reaction. if the skin continues to react, then by definition, there are still AK cells in there to be nuked.

Does this not make sense?

Thanks Bill. Great stuff.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:53:14 +0000

I just finished the 3 week treatment, actually stopped it in Day 16 as my doctor told me I could and was happy with the results. I am thankful that I have been able to stop.
All was not too bad up until Day 15. I could feel my face getting tighter and tighter as the days went on, and my nose in and around was getting tighter and tighter and really really red. Well Day 15 and Day 16 – Bammo! I got hit with it all!
I was thinking through my treatment ‘ahhh it’s not that bad, maybe I am just lucky!’ then out of nowhere came the intense pain, extreme itching and watery and burning eyes! I am now just doing a cream called Betaderm (steroidal anti inflam) so I am hoping this goes away soon. This really sucks, but I just keep reminding myself that it will pass and that the pain is there because it is actually doing something!
On another note I have been treating my arms with the Efudex/Betaderm combo and I can see that it is really working, I have red measly looking spots all over, but the great thing is, other than tiny tiny little bit of discomfort I have no pain whatsoever on my arms!

By: Fritz

Fritz — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:49:19 +0000

Interesting comments. I just completed week one of three weeks of 2x/day Efudex on my forehead, neck, hands and arms. I have started posting my journal and will upload daily photos this weekend.

I did this treatment about six years ago on my hands only…so I have a little idea what to expect.

Hugs and best wishes to all.

Fritz

By: Kenshi Fukuhara

Kenshi Fukuhara — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:39:21 +0000

Hello. As I posted before, Japanese TV network wants to use your photo as a sample skin cancer case. We are finishing up the editing now. Please let me know if we can use it ASAP.
Thank you.

Kenshi Fukuhara
Associate TV Producer
NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:29:15 +0000

Hi. I just found this web site. I am on the 30th day of the Efudex treatment/process… It has been brutal.

I hung in there coming to work all but 3 days, so far. The burning and itching is so un-nerving. I feel incredibly irritable. I can not stand the comments people make. I know most of them mean well… but… they say “Oh, you will be fine…” I feel like saying, “I know, but I’m not fine right now so leave me alone!” I keep my responses to myself and I haven’t killed anyone yet. I think I’ve scared everyone away from letting me know if they think it looks “better” etc…

I know I am on the mend so that is encouraging. The Vaseline really does help but it makes you feel all greasy and gross. That of course is better than the unbearable itch.

Best wishes to everyone dealing with this. It is nice to know I am not alone! Kelly