What is "fluorouracil"

n. A particular drug used in chemotherapy.

n. an antimetabolite used to treat certain cancers

Fluorouracil (5-FU) (trade name Adrucil among others) is a medication which is used in the treatment of cancer.

It is a suicide inhibitor and works through irreversible inhibition of thymidylate synthase. It belongs to the family of drugs called the antimetabolites. It is also a pyrimidine analog .

It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.