Dr. Dana Sachs of the University of Michigan has found that Efudex (fluorouracil), which is normally used to treat scaly or crusty pre-cancerous bumps on the skin called actinic keratoses, also smoothes ordinary wrinkles — but not painlessly:
“Patients look really bad,” Sachs said in a telephone interview. “Their skin is red. I’ve heard people describe it as looking like raw hamburger meat.”But after the treatment, patients have said their skin looks younger. “People have commented for years that they look better. Not only are their pre-cancers gone but the quality of their skin seems to be improved,” Sachs said.
Sachs and colleagues wanted to see if they could actually measure a difference in the appearance of skin.
They studied 21 people aged 56 to 85 with actinic keratoses and sun damage. The volunteers used the cream twice daily on the face for two weeks and the team measured changes in the skin, taking facial biopsies over a six-month period.
The drug had a significant effect.
“People’s skin was much softer,” Sachs said. “The texture was improved. There are fewer wrinkles around the upper cheek and eyes.”
The researchers also noticed skin appeared less yellow and more even toned with fewer brown spots.
Sachs said for patients with precancerous spots, the findings may be an added inducement to finish treatment. It may be useful at treating the signs of sun damage in other patients as well, she said.