Skincare Treated

Squamous Cell Cancer Can Spread

It is common to classify skin cancer as basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer and melanoma.

What is it?

Squamous cell cancer develops when the squamous cells in the skin turn malignant. These cells are present in the upper layer of the epidermis or outer layer of the skin.

They are also present in the lining of some of the body’s organs and the respiratory and digestive systems. Basal cells, on the other hand, are present only in the lower layer of the epidermis and are round in shape.

Squamous cells are flat and scaly, with the term “squamous” being derived from “squama” in Latin, or “fish scales”.

Also, squamous cell cancer though common, is not as common as basal cell cancer. It is also much more sensitive to ultraviolet light and is present more in men than in women.

What is Solar Keratosis?

Some researchers make a distinction between an early stage of the cancer and the mature stage. The early stage is called actinic keratosis or solar keratosis.

These lesions appear on any part of the face and neck that is exposed to the sun, like the scalp, face, ears, nose and the back of the hands. The look like scaly red lumps.

Just as in basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell cancer too takes several years to develop. Hence, an actinic lesion may remain the way it is for years before it matures into squamous cell cancer and penetrates the skin.

What does it Look Like?

These lesions, or abnormal tissue, are larger than basal cell lesions. They are roughly round and have a crater in the middle.

Since squamous cell cancer can develop in the body’s internal organs, exposure to sunlight is only one cause of the cancer. Others include exposure to chemicals such as arsenic, hydrocarbons or X-rays.

Other factors that raise the risk of developing squamous cell cancer are cigarette smoking, which doubles the risk; and infection by the human papilloma virus. The latter causes squamous lesions on the genitals and near the fingernails and toenails.

Yet another cause is the regular use of immunosuppressant drugs.

Treatment of Squamous Cancer

Surgical treatment of squamous cell cancer is by curettage, radiation therapy, cryosurgery, Mohs surgery. Some creams and other topical treatments are also used to treat squamous cell cancer.