5-FU

Medical abbreviation · Drug

5-FU
Stands for5-Fluorouracil
CategoriesMedical

5-FU stands for 5-Fluorouracil, a drug abbreviation.

Chemotherapy drug that blocks DNA synthesis, a backbone of treatment for colorectal, pancreatic, stomach and head and neck cancers, usually given as an IV bolus plus a 46-hour infusion in regimens such as FOLFOX and FOLFIRI. A topical cream treats precancerous skin lesions.

Example: FOLFOX: oxaliplatin, leucovorin, 5-FU bolus, then 5-FU 2,400 mg/m2 over 46 h.

Usage notes

People with deficiency of the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) cannot break down 5-FU and capecitabine and may suffer severe or fatal toxicity, so testing for DPYD gene variants before treatment is increasingly recommended. Uridine triacetate is an antidote for overdose. Topical fluorouracil is sold as Efudex and Carac.

More drug abbreviations

  • 2-PAM – Pralidoxime
  • 3HP – Three months of weekly isoniazid and rifapentine
  • 3TC – Lamivudine
  • 4-MP – 4-Methylpyrazole (fomepizole)
  • 5-ASA – 5-Aminosalicylic acid (mesalamine)
  • 5-FC – 5-Fluorocytosine (flucytosine)
  • 5-HTP – 5-Hydroxytryptophan
  • 6-MP – 6-Mercaptopurine
  • 70/30 – 70% intermediate-acting and 30% short-acting premixed insulin
  • AAS – Anabolic-androgenic steroids
  • ABC – Abacavir
  • ABX – Antibiotics

See all 170 drug abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.