what is Squamous cell carcinomas?

 

If left untreated, this skin cancer can grow or spread to other parts of your body.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common form of skin cancer that develops in the thin, flat squamous cells that make up the outer layer of your skin.Although it can be aggressive, SCC is generally not life-threatening.However, untreated SCC can grow or spread to other parts of your body, causing serious complications.Most SCC of the skin results from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation either from sunlight, tanning beds, or sunlamps.Avoiding UV light can lower your risk of squamous cell carcinoma and other forms of skin cancer.Squamous cells exist in many areas of your body, and SCC can occur anywhere they are found (this article will focus on SCC of the skin).

Symptoms

SCC occurs most often on the sun-exposed areas of your skin, such as the scalp, the backs of your hands, and the ears.However, it has been known to occur in other areas, including the inside your mouth, the anus, and the genitals of both sexes.Symptoms of SCC include:

• A firm, red nodule
• A flat sore with a scaly crust
• A new sore or raised area on an old scar
• A rough, scaly patch on your lip
• A red sore or rough patch inside your mouth
• A red, raised patch on or in your anus or genitals

Talk with your doctor if you have a sore or scab that doesn't heal in about two months, or a flat patch of scaly skin that won't go away.

SCC Treatment

Most SCC can be completely removed through minor surgery or topical ointments. Available treatments include:

• Electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C)
• Laser therapy
• Freezing
• Photodynamic therapy
• Medicated creams or lotions
• Simple excision
• Mohs surgery
• Radiation therapy

In ED&C, a surgeon removes the surface of the skin cancer with a scraping instrument (curette) and then sears the base of the cancer with an electric needle.ED&C is typically used for small lesions.In laser therapy, a doctor targets the SCC with an intense beam of light that vaporizes it with little damage to surrounding tissue.Compared with surgical methods of removal, laser therapy carries a reduced risk of bleeding, swelling, and scarring.For SCCs that are very thin or near the surface of the skin, your doctor may recommend killing the SCC cells by freezing them with liquid nitrogen. This is sometimes called cryosurgery. Photodynamic therapy combines topical drugs and light to treat superficial (surface) SCCs. Your doctor will apply a liquid drug that makes the cancer cells sensitive to light, then target a light beam on the cells to kill them.Topical ointments, creams, or lotions may be used to treat SCCs that are superficial and don't extend deep into the skin.In surgical excision, the surgeon cuts out the cancerous tissue and a surrounding area of healthy skin. This procedure may result in scarring.In Mohs surgery, surgeons remove cancer cells layer by layer. They examine each layer under a microscope to verify that no abnormal cells remain, which enables them to remove the entire growth without taking excessive amounts of surrounding healthy tissue. Mohs surgery is most often used in cases of recurring SCC, or when lesions are large, deep, fast-growing, on your face, or of a type called morpheaform. Finally, in radiation therapy, a doctor uses high-energy beams (usually X-rays) to kill cancer cells. This procedure may not be an option for SCCs that are deeper in the skin or when there is an elevated risk of the cancer recurring