NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
The NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms features 7,893 terms related to cancer and medicine.
Browse the dictionary by selecting a letter of the alphabet or by entering a cancer-related word or phrase in the search box.
- listen (EH-fyoo-dex)
A drug used to treat cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, stomach, and pancreas. Under the brand names Carac, Tolak, Efudex, and Fluoroplex, it is used as a cream to treat actinic keratosis (a skin condition that may become cancer). It is also used under the brand name Efudex as a cream to treat basal cell skin cancer that is superficial (not invasive) and cannot be removed by surgery. Efudex is being studied in the treatment of other conditions and types of cancer. It stops cells from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. Efudex is a type of antimetabolite. Also called 5-fluorouracil, 5-FU, Carac, Fluoroplex, fluorouracil, and Tolak.