SQUAMOUS
CELL CARCINOMA
What
is it?
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common
skin cancer affecting over 200,000 people every year. In
the United States, SCC usually develops in people over 55
years old (in Australia people in their 20s and 30s commonly
get it). It is more common in men than women, and more common
in fair-skinned than darker-pigmented folk. SCC is caused
by exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing agents. The most
common carcinogen is sunlight. It is believed that SCC is
related to the accumulated lifetime dose of solar radiation.
The more sun you are exposed to, the more likely it is you'll
develop this skin cancer. Other carcinogens that cause SCC
are arsenic, certain types of Human Papillomavirus (see
our STD online
Guide), certain types of tar, pitch, and fuel oils (used
in industrial jobs), and other radiation exposure (x-rays
and Gamma rays). Like all cancers, SCC is essentially normal
skin cells that now are multiplying out-of-control. SCC
commonly starts as a precancerous
growth and slowly develops over time. It is most commonly
found on sun-exposed areas of the body, especially the forehead,
temple, ears, neck, shoulders, and legs (in those who have
spent time sunbathing).
What's
it look like?
Squamous Cell Carcinoma usually begins as a precancerous
growth
and slowly develops into a firm small irritated lump. As
this cancer grows, it commonly starts to breakdown and ulcerate.
It will commonly bleed easily when scraped; it is usually
painless, though may occasionally be tender or painful.
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Squamous
Cell Carcinoma on the lower lip
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Squamous
Cell Carcinoma on the ear
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Close-up
of SCC on the arm
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How
do I avoid getting it?
Prevention is the best way to avoid this disease. Though
Squamous Cell Carcinoma can develop anywhere on the body,
and is not always caused by sun-damage to skin, the vast
majority of new cases are caused by repeated sun-exposure
and sun-damage. Minimizing sun exposure will significantly
decrease your risk of getting Squamous Cell Carcinoma. (Please
refer to our page on minimizing sun exposure to learn exactly
how to do this.) Avoiding sunburns and wearing sunscreen
on all exposed skin (with an SPF of 15 or better) is important
to prevent getting this disease.
How's
it treated if I get it?
If you have abnormally appearing changes on your skin that
you think might be an early Squamous Cell Carcinoma, you
should contact your family physician. Suspicious appearing
skin growths are often biopsied (e.g., a small piece of
skin is removed) and sent to the laboratory where a pathologist
looks to see if there is any evidence of cancer. If there
is, the treatment is surgical removal of the cancerous tissue.
Because SCC is more likely to spread if not removed early,
it is important that the entire diseased area of skin be
removed. Therefore, it is not recommended that SCC be frozen
or destroyed as a tissue sample is important to be sure
the whole thing was removed (e.g., "clean margins"). This
is usually done by surgically cutting out the diseased skin
under local anesthesia. Rarely, the cancerous skin will
be destroyed by freezing it with liquid nitrogen. For more
extensive cancers, or for cancers involving cosmetically
important areas (such as the nose, lip, or ear folds) microscopically-controlled
surgery (Mohs' Surgery) is often used. This is done by a
dermatologist or plastic surgeon specifically trained in
this procedure.
Additional
Information For more information on Squamous Cell Carcinoma,
click here.
