Can medications used in cancer care also have a place in treating keloids? In this Bumpinator short, a viewer puts that question directly to Dr. Sanusi Umar, who explains where Bleomycin and Interferons fit into the discussion and why Festus received a different approach.
A Viewer Asks About Cancer Medications and Keloids
The question centers on whether drugs associated with cancer treatment can also be used for keloids. Dr. U calls it “a very good question” and explains that some therapies used elsewhere in medicine have also been used in keloid treatment.
He points to Bleomycin as one example. In the video, Dr. U describes it as a chemotherapeutic agent that he uses in treating keloids. His answer highlights an overlap in treatment tools without suggesting that keloids and cancer are the same condition.

Where Interferons Fit Into Keloid Treatment
Dr. U then discusses Interferons. He describes them as immune-based treatments that are used in some cancers and have also been used for keloids, usually after removal. The distinction matters because the treatment category is different from the chemotherapeutic example he gives with Bleomycin.
The short stays focused on Dr. U’s explanation of these treatment options and their use in keloid care. It does not present either medication as the treatment used for Festus.

Festus Received a Different Approach
Dr. U is explicit that neither of those examples describes what was used for Festus. Referring to Festus’s multiple recurrent keloids, he says the approach used in his case “has never been done before” and that it worked in Festus’s case.
Dr. U describes that experience as adding another treatment modality to what may be available to doctors treating keloids. The short does not provide the details of that approach, keeping the focus on the viewer’s question and setting up the broader story available in the full video.
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Medical Disclaimer
This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Treatment planning for recurrent keloids should be individualized. One patient’s experience does not predict another patient’s results.
Further Reading
- https://dru.com/festus-acne-keloidalis-nuchae-hope/
- Umar S, Khanna R. Papular acne keloidalis nuchae treatment success using follicular unit excision. JAAD Case Rep. 2023 Jul 25;39:96-100. doi: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2023.07.013. PMID: 37621307; PMCID: PMC10445098. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10904000/



