BY INTRAVENOUS INJECTION, USUAL DOSES OF 12 MG/KG DAILY (TO A MAXIMUM OF 0.8 TO 1 G DAILY) FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS. IF THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF TOXICITY, THIS MAY BE FOLLOWED AFTER 1 DAY BY 6 MG/KG ON ALTERNATE DAYS FOR 3 OR 4 FURTHER DOSES. AN ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULE IS TO GIVE 15 MG/KG INTRAVENOUSLY ONCE A WEEK THROUGHOUT THE COURSE. THE COURSE MAY BE REPEATED AFTER 4 TO 6 WEEKS OR MAINTENANCE DOSES OF 5 TO 15 MG/KG TO A MAXIMUM OF 1 G MAY BE GIVEN WEEKLY.
BY INTRAVENOUS INFUSION, USUAL DOSES OF 15 MG/KG DAILY (TO A MAXIMUM OF 1 G DAILY) BEING INFUSED IN 500 ML OF SODIUM CHLORIDE 0.9% OR GLUCOSE 5% OVER 4 HOURS AND REPEATED ON SUCCESSIVE DAYS UNTIL TOXICITY OCCURS OR A TOTAL OF 12 TO 15 G HAS BEEN GIVEN. CONTINUOUS INFUSION MAY ALSO BE USED. THE COURSE MAY BE REPEATED AFTER 4 TO 6 WEEKS.
BY CONTINUOUS INTRA-ARTERIAL INFUSION, IN DOSES OF 5 TO 7.5 MG/KG DAILY (REGIONAL PERFUSION)
BY MOUTH, MAINTENANCE 15 MG/KG WEEKLY; MAX. IN ONE DAY 1 G
SUGGESTED REGIMENS WITH FOLINIC ACID INCLUDE:
200 MG/M2 OF FOLINIC ACID (AS CALCIUM FOLINATE) BY SLOW INTRAVENOUS INJECTION FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN INTRAVENOUS BOLUS OF FLUOROURACIL 370 MG/M2; THE TREATMENT IS GIVEN DAILY FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, AND MAY BE REPEATED AFTER 21 TO 28 DAYS
LOWER DOSES OF FOLINIC ACID (20 MG/M2) FOLLOWED BY FLUOROURACIL 425 MG/M2 FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, REPEATED EVERY 4 TO 5 WEEKS (THE MAYO REGIMEN)
AN INITIAL DOSE OF 200 MG/M2 OF FOLINIC ACID, FOLLOWED BY FLUOROURACIL 400 MG/M2 AS AN INITIAL INTRAVENOUS BOLUS INJECTION AND THEN 600 MG/M2 BY CONTINUOUS INTRAVENOUS INFUSION. THIS DOSAGE IS GIVEN FOR 2 CONSECUTIVE DAYS EVERY 2 WEEKS (THE DE GRAMONT REGIMEN)
FLUOROURACIL IS USED TOPICALLY IN THE TREATMENT OF SOLAR (ACTINIC) KERATOSES AND OTHER SUPERFICIAL TUMOURS AND PREMALIGNANT CONDITIONS OF THE SKIN INCLUDING BOWEN'S DISEASE AND SUPERFICIAL BASAL CELL CARCINOMAS. FOR ACTINIC KERATOSIS IT IS USUALLY APPLIED AS A 0.5 TO 5% CREAM OR AS A 1 TO 5% SOLUTION IN PROPYLENE GLYCOL ONCE OR TWICE DAILY FOR 2 TO 4 WEEKS; THE HIGHER STRENGTH MAY BE APPLIED FOR AT LEAST 3 TO 6 WEEKS FOR SUPERFICIAL BASAL CELL CARCINOMAS.