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StatPearls, LLC

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Floxuridine
  • Fluorouracil
  • Off-Label Use
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Fluorouracil

Fluorouracil, also known as 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU, belongs to the class of chemotherapy drugs used to treat various neoplasms. Systemic fluorouracil is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, breast adenocarcinoma, and colorectal adenocarcinoma. In addition, topical fluorouracil (5%) is FDA-approved for managing dermatologic conditions such as multiple actinic or solar keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinomas in cases where alternative methods are not feasible. Off-label uses of systemic fluorouracil include anal carcinoma, advanced biliary tract carcinoma, cervical cancer, and esophageal cancer. Upon ingestion or topical application, fluorouracil enters cells through a facilitated transport mechanism and undergoes conversion into fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP). FdUMP then forms complexes with the enzyme thymidylate synthase, thereby inhibiting the production of deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP). As dTMP is crucial for DNA replication and repair, its depletion causes an imbalance in intracellular nucleotides, ultimately resulting in the generation of double-stranded DNA breaks facilitated by the enzyme endonuclease. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications of fluorouracil as a valuable agent for treating a spectrum of visceral and dermatologic malignancies. This activity particularly emphasizes the adverse event profile and other significant factors of fluorouracil, such as off-label uses, highlighting the crucial and collaborative efforts of the interprofessional healthcare team in the management of various malignancies.

Credit & MOC Details

Credit information is provided by the course provider. We recommend confirming credit eligibility with the provider or your licensing board before starting the activity.

Credit types

IPCE CreditsUp to 1.5 creditsAAPA Category 1 Credit™Up to 1.5 creditsAMA PRA Category 1 Credit™Up to 1.5 creditsNursingUp to 1.5 creditsPharmacyUp to 1.5 credits

MOC types

ABS — Accredited CMEUp to 1.5 pointsABPATH — Lifelong LearningUp to 1.5 pointsABA — Lifelong LearningUp to 1.5 pointsABTS — Accredited CMEUp to 1.5 pointsABIM — Medical KnowledgeUp to 1.5 pointsABS — Self-AssessmentUp to 1.5 pointsABTS — Self-AssessmentUp to 1.5 points

FDA REMS

No

Qualifies for MIPS

No

Target Specialties

Cross-Specialty

Relevant across 7 specialties.

Pricing

Fee varies

This provider typically $49–98

See fees on statpearls.com

Listed by the provider

  • Article / monograph / reference
  • Credit · Up to 1.5 credits
  • MOC · Up to 1.5 points
  • Fee varies · this provider typically $49–98
  • Released
    Sep 1, 2026
  • Last day to claim credit
    Sep 1, 2029 3 years left

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