Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that is found in the squamous cells. Although squamous cells are found throughout the body, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin forms in the skin’s middle and outer layers. If left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body. Although the second most common form of skin cancer, when caught early, most cases of squamous cell carcinoma are curable.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Causes
The most common cause of squamous cell carcinoma is prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. This prolonged exposure is often obtained through too much time in the sun unprotected or from tanning beds. Many people who develop squamous cell carcinoma have fair skin. They also tend to have noticeable sun damage, such as deep wrinkles and sun spots.
Others who are at higher risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma include people who have a history of sunburns, rare genetic disorders, history of organ transplant, or a weakened immune system. A personal history of precancerous and cancerous lesions can also increase your risk of developing this type of skin cancer.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Signs and Symptoms
Since squamous cell carcinoma can form anywhere there are squamous cells in the body, there are many signs and symptoms to watch out for. Today, we’ll focus on signs and symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Many, if not all, of these symptoms occur in areas that are often exposed to the sun, such as the ears, hands, scalp, face, and lips.
Symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin can occur in many forms. These include:
- Sores developing in an old scar
- Growths similar in appearance to warts
- Brown spots, which are often mistaken for age spots
- Rough, reddish, scaly patches of skin
- Tiny, rhino-shaped horns growing out of the skin
- Hard, dome-shaped growths
- Open sores that likely have a raised border
Although these lesions will most likely appear as one color, the actual color can vary from person to person. The most common colors associated with squamous cell carcinoma are red or pink. Other colors to look for are brown, black, a yellow tint, and white. If the affected area is scaly, the scaly part of the skin may be white while the skin underneath is another color, usually red or pink.
While most people only notice a change in their skin, such as sores that don’t heal, other symptoms can also occur. These symptoms include itching, numbness, a pins-and-needles sensation, or feeling tender in the affected area. Any growth that doesn’t heal, or heals and keeps returning, should be examined by an expert.
How Serious is Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
When squamous cell carcinoma occurs in the skin and is caught early, it is rarely life-threatening. This form of cancer grows slowly, but can grow deep within the layers of skin. If left untreated, squamous cell carcinoma can injure blood vessels, nerves, and any other part of the body in its path. Additionally, a large tumor can form as the cancerous cells continue to grow. In serios cases, squamous cell carcinoma can spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes and lungs.
Is Squamous Cell Carcinoma Fully Curable?
If caught early, squamous cell carcinoma is often curable. Because of this, it is important to do self skin screenings, as well as schedule a yearly skin cancer screening with your dermatologist. Self-screenings should be conducted monthly to check your body for new growths and keep an eye on pre-existing growths, such as moles. If you notice changes in your moles or find new growths, schedule an in-office screening with your dermatologist.
During an in-office skin cancer screening, your dermatologist will conduct an examination of your skin. Not only is this helpful for your dermatologist to maintain records of your growths for future screenings, but they can also check those hard to see areas, such as your scalp and back. If a growth looks as if it may be cancerous or precancerous, your dermatologist can perform a biopsy in-office to confirm the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells.
Skin cancer screenings are precautionary and do not mean you have cancer or even cancer symptoms. Conducting these early screenings can help identify skin cancer before any other symptoms appear. By the time other symptoms appear, the affected area is often significantly larger and more resistant to treatment.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treatment Options
Not all skin cancers are the same. Despite their differences, some do have similarities, such as basal cell carcinoma vs squamous cell carcinoma. In addition to people with fair skin being more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, both types of skin cancer have similar treatment options. These three treatment options include excision, curettage and electrodessication, and Mohs surgery.
Before identifying which treatment option is best for you, your dermatologist will conduct a biopsy to determine the stage the carcinoma is in and if it’s considered aggressive. Once this is determined, your dermatologist will discuss the recommended treatment option and your concerns about the procedure.
Although all three squamous cell carcinoma treatment options are surgical, they all can occur in our office.
1. Excision
Excision is the first treatment option. During an excision, the affected area is numbed, and then the tumor is cut out, along with a small area of normal-looking skin surrounding the tumor. This is to ensure stray cancer cells are also removed. The area is then stitched closed. The removed skin is then sent off to be examined under the microscope to ensure all of the cancer has been removed.
2. Curettage and electrodesiccation
Curettage and electrodesiccation is another treatment option for small, low-risk squamous cell carcinomas. However, this procedure should usually not be completed on areas of the skin where there is heavy hair growth, like the scalp or face. During this procedure, the dermatologist scrapes the tumor from your skin, which is called curetting. Then, they will apply heat using electrocautery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
3. Mohs surgery
The most common form of treatment for squamous cell carcinoma is Mohs surgery. This type of procedure allows dermatologists to remove the least amount of tissue and obtain the highest cure rate. During a Mohs surgery, the skin cancer is removed a layer at a time. While the patient waits, the tissue is then processed in the office laboratory to microscopically examine the tissue for any cancerous cells. This is repeated until a layer of tissue is confirmed to have no cancerous cells.
Once the cancerous cells have been removed, the dermatologist will reconstruct the surgical area. This not only maximizes the cure rate for cancer, but also minimizes damage to the normal skin surrounding the cancerous cells. Our expert surgeons perform this procedure at our state-of-the-art Mohs Surgery Center.
Can You Prevent Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times. The best way to prevent squamous cell carcinoma, or any skin cancer, is to protect your skin from the sun and avoid tanning beds. Luckily, there are many ways to protect our skin from the sun.
Avoiding the sun in the middle of the day is best, but if this is unavoidable, wear protective clothing, such as a hat or long sleeves. A daily habit to build into your routine to prevent skin cancer, no matter the time of year, is to apply sunscreen and reapply it every two hours. Using at least SPF 30 is recommended.
Vujevich Dermatology Associates has trained experts to perform squamous cell carcinoma examinations and treatment. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and skin cancer screening with one of our expert dermatologists and learn more about squamous cell carcinoma treatment options.