Researchers have found that a cream first introduced as a treatment for the early signs of skin cancer may also smooth wrinkles and rough spots, improve color and erase brown spots to reveal a more youthful appearance.
The cream Efudex is produced by Valeant Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of a precancerous form of squamous cell carcinoma known as actinic keratoses.
Dr. Dana Sachs of the University of Michigan, whose study appears in the Archives of Dermatology, said the cream appears to be stimulating a wound healing response that causes an increase in the production of collagen, a key factor in improving the appearance of wrinkles.
Sachs says that the cream has been used for for decades in the treatment of actinic keratoses, which manifests as a scaly or rough growth on the skin. They are mostly found in sun-exposed areas such as the face, neck, forearms or lips.
Treatment with Efudex, known generically as fluorouracil, is known to cause inflammation of the skin after application.
“Patients look really bad…their skin is red. I’ve heard people describe it as looking like raw hamburger meat,” Sachs said in an interview.
If the patient can endure the initial set back of inflammation, they will then experience the welcomed side effect of younger looking skin. “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 the change in skin appearance could actually be documented, so they performed a study.
They studied 21 people ranging in age from 56 to 85 that suffered from actinic keratoses and sun damage. The volunteers used the cream twice daily on the face for two weeks while the team measured changes in the skin by taking facial biopsies over a six-month period.
The effects of the drug as observed by the team were not only measurable, but also substantial.
“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 that the color of the skin appeared to be more even in tone with fewer brown spots.
Sachs said for patients with precancerous spots, these results might provide an added incentive to complete their treatment. It may also prove to be effective in treating signs of sun damage in other patients.
Actinic keratoses are caused by years of sun damage and can lead to squamous cell carcinoma, one of the two most common types of skin cancer that represent more than 1 million new cases each year. They are easily treated and rarely kill unless completely neglected.
Actinic keratosis is a premalignant condition associated with those who are frequently exposed to the sun, as it is usually accompanied by sun damage. Some of these pre-cancers progress to squamous cell carcinoma, one of the two most common types of skin cancer with 1 million new cases each year. They are easily treated and rarely fatal if not neglected.
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