What is fluorouracil cream?

Fluorouracil cream is a topical ointment that is used to treat skin problems caused by years of overexposure to sunlight, according to Medline Plus. It is prescribed to treat scaly or crusted lesions.

Fluorouracil cream is used to treat pre-cancerous and cancerous skin growths, as WebMD describes. For cancerous growths, it is used to treat basal cell carcinoma. Side effects associated with the use of Fluorouracil cream are skin irritation, redness, drying, pain, swelling and tenderness. It is applied to the affected area twice a day, as described by Medline Plus. The use of the cream should continue until the affected lesions peel off, which typically takes from two to four weeks.