New Discovery: A Common Skin-Cancer Drug Has Anti-Aging Benefit

Interesting news from the June issue of Archives of Dermatology: A recent study found that skin-cancer patients using Efudex, a prescription cream known generically as fluorouracil, saw notable improvements in dark spots, yellowness, and yes, even wrinkles.

12 simple ways to get youthful skin.

The cream has been used for years to treat actinic keratoses, a precancerous form of squamous cell carcinoma-but only after doctors noticed their patients looking a whole lot younger after treatment did they study the stuff for its anti-aging benefits. Don't expect fluorouracil to become a mainstream wrinkle-fighter: it stimulates some serious collagen production, but can take weeks of redness, peeling, and discomfort to see a change. Still, derms hope these findings will be an added incentive for patients to treat precancerous spots.

Read more interesting discoveries about skin cancer and coffee.

-- Erin Flaherty

Image via David Cook

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