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Cancer Cream Does Double Duty for Wrinkles

A chemotherapy drug developed decades ago for colorectal and pancreatic cancer is getting attention for its ability to make old skin look more youthful. Fluorouracil cream is prescribed to treat pre-cancerous skin lesions known as actinic keratoses. A new study shows that when patients applied this topical anti-cancer cream twice daily for two weeks it had the added benefit of reversing wrinkles and age spots. As tempting as this treatment may sound, it does have a drawback. Fluorouracil can cause a bright red inflammatory reaction that is far from attractive. Think the worst case of sunburn you have ever seen. It can last for weeks after the treatment has been completed.

[Archives of Dermatology, June, 2009]
http://archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/145/6/659

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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