A 2019 study suggested that chemotherapy cream, when a person uses it with other treatments, can reduce the risk of developing skin cancer.Methotrexate cured 91% of cancers, compared with a higher cure rate of 98% for 5FU cream.
Keratoacanthoma, which is a type of squamous cell carcinoma, had the highest cure rate with chemotherapy cream. A 2013 review looked at the use of chemotherapy cream to treat nonmelanoma skin cancers.A 2018 study involving 10 people with giant ocular surface squamous neoplasia, which is a type of skin cancer in the eye, assessed whether or not people needed surgery after using chemotherapy cream.The list below looks at what the research currently suggests. Topical chemotherapy may be an effective treatment option for certain cancers. In people who are too sick to undergo surgery or who wish to avoid surgery, chemotherapy cream may be an alternative. In some cases, a doctor may recommend using chemotherapy cream along with other treatments, such as surgery, to cure cancer and prevent it from coming back. The cream can also treat superficial types of skin cancer. A doctor may prescribe the cream to prevent certain lesions from becoming cancerous. A doctor may recommend chemotherapy eye drops or creams for cancers such as giant ocular surface squamous neoplasia.Ĭhemotherapy cream primarily treats cancers that affect the skin. Treating certain eye cancers: Certain cancers of the eye affect the skin of the eye.An older 2013 study concluded that topical chemotherapy is a safe and effective treatment option for mycosis fungoides. For example, T cell lymphoma can cause mycosis fungoides on the skin. Treating skin manifestations of other cancers: Some cancers that most people do not think of as skin cancer can affect the skin.Treating skin cancer: Some superficial forms of squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma may respond to chemotherapy cream.They may also suggest chemotherapy cream to treat large areas of sun-damaged skin with many precancers. Doctors sometimes prescribe ointment as an alternative to surgery to prevent cancer. Preventing skin cancer: Certain conditions, such as actinic keratosis, may become cancerous.Topical chemotherapy’s main uses include the following: