- fluorouracil
- A pyrimidine analog; an antineoplastic effective in the treatment of some carcinomas; the cells of certain neoplasms incorporate uracil into ribonucleic acid more readily than do normal tissue cells. SEE ALSO: floxuridine.
* * *
flu·o·ro·ura·cil .flu̇(-ə)r-ō-'yu̇r-ə-.sil, -.səl or 5-flu·o·ro·ura·cil 'fīv- n a fluorine-containing pyrimidine base C4H3FN2O2 used to treat some kinds of cancer* * *
n.a drug that prevents cell growth (see antimetabolite) and is used in the treatment of cancers of the digestive system and breast (see also folinic acid). It is usually administered by injection. Side-effects, which may be severe, include digestive and skin disorders, mouth ulcers, hair loss, nail changes, and blood disorders. Fluorouracil is also applied as a cream (Efudix) to treat certain skin conditions, including skin cancer.* * *
flu·o·ro·ura·cil (floor″o-ūrґə-sil″) [USP] 5-fluorouracil (5-FU); a fluoropyrimidine metabolically activated like uracil; used intravenously as an antineoplastic for the treatment of solid tumors, especially palliative treatment of carcinomas of the breast and gastrointestinal tract. It is also used topically for the treatment of actinic keratoses and other precancerous skin conditions and for superficial basal cell carcinomas.
Medical dictionary. 2011.
