VA study finds effective, inexpensive skin cancer drug

A recent VA study has revealed an effective, cost-efficient method for the prevention of nonmelanoma skin cancer, the most common cancer in the U.S. Investigators at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System discovered that, over a three-year period, patients treated with topical fluorouracil 5% (5-FU) had decreased skin cancer-related health care costs. Results suggest 5-FU could reduce the development of nonmelanoma skin cancer (and the related condition, actinic keratosis) in high-risk patients. With around 90,000 Veterans being treated for nonmelanoma skin cancer and treatment costs approaching $5 billion annually, the calculated cost savings of 5-FU therapy for VA could be as high as $69 million within three years.

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