Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37982726›Full record

ReviewActa dermato-venereologica2023

Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of 4% 5-Fluorouracil Cream in Patients with Actinic Keratosis: An Expert Opinion.

Eggert Stockfleth, Markus V Heppt, Nathalie Bégeault, Alain Delarue

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Acta dermato-venereologica, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. KOH 5% solution versus diclofenac 3% for the treatment of actinic keratosis - Results from a three-armed RCT.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2026
    Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Eggert StockflethDepartment of Dermatology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Markus V HepptDepartment of Dermatology, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. Markus.Heppt@uk-erlangen.de.
Nathalie BégeaultPierre Fabre, Lavaur, France.
Alain DelaruePierre Fabre, Lavaur, France.
Pierre Fabre (France) · FRFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · DERuhr University Bochum · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Actinic keratosis is a lesion that develops in sun-exposed areas of the skin and is considered to be a precancerous condition or an early in situ squamous cell carcinoma. Treatment of actinic keratosis is important for reducing skin cancer risk, with treatment choice based on patient-, lesion- and treatment-related considerations. Of the topical treatments used for field-directed therapy, those containing 5-fluorouracil are among the most effective and widely prescribed. The most recently developed topical 5-fluorouracil preparation (Tolak®; Pierre Fabre, France) contains 4% 5-fluorouracil in an aqueous cream. This narrative review discusses data on 4% 5-fluorouracil cream to treat actinic keratosis, and provides the authors' expert opinion on issues associated with it use. The effect of the cream has been evaluated in phase 2 and 3 trials of adult patients with actinic keratosis on the face, ears or scalp. These trials included patients with severe baseline disease, defined by high lesion counts and large-size treatment fields, which possibly affected the proportion of patients who were able to achieve complete clearance. Other efficacy parameters (e.g. percentage change in lesion count, ≥ 75% clearance of lesions or clinically significant changes in validated severity scales) should also be assessed to fully evaluate 4% 5-fluorouracil treatment efficacy in these patients. Nevertheless, 4% 5-fluorouracil is associated with high efficacy, a low level of recurrence and a satisfactory safety profile.

Indexed as

Keratosis, ActinicSkin NeoplasmsAdultEmollientsFluorouracilHumansSkinEmollientsFluorouracil

Identifiers

PMID37982726
PMCPMC10680462
OpenAlexW4388825716

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.