Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma with intralesional 5-Fluorouracil.

BACKGROUND: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used topically and intralesionally to treat lesions related to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) such as actinic keratosis, Bowen's disease, and keratoacanthoma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether intralesional 5-FU might be effective in treating a patient with SCC. METHODS: A patient with SCC at the junction of the right alar crease and right nasolabial fold was treated with eight weekly injections of 5-FU, with doses ranging from 0.8 to 2.4 mL. RESULTS: A repeat biopsy after the eighth treatment showed total clearance of the cancer, and the patient has remained free of recurrence during a 5-month follow-up period. CONCLUSION: This modality may provide patients with SCC in cosmetically important locations or in areas that require complex surgery the advantage of a nonsurgical cure.