If I Have Squamous Cell Carcinoma Once Am I More Likely to Get It Again?

Squamous cell carcinoma is a life-threatening type of pare cancer. Squamous cells are pocket-sized, flat cells in the outer layer of skin. When these cells become cancerous, they typically develop into rounded skin tumors that tin exist flat or raised. Sometimes the peel effectually the tumor gets red and swollen. Squamous cell carcinoma can also occur on the penis or vulva.

Squamous prison cell carcinoma sometimes develops from a precancerous skin growth chosen an actinic keratosis. The risk of developing this blazon of skin cancer is increased among fair-skinned and off-white-haired people who have repeatedly been exposed to strong sunlight, individuals who had freckles equally a child, and those with blue eyes. Other risk factors include taking immunosuppressants (drugs that weaken the immune system) and being exposed to industrial pollutants such as arsenic, tar, and industrial oils.

Having had genital warts in the by is a major gamble factor for genital squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the 2nd most common type of skin cancer in the United States, subsequently basal jail cell carcinoma, with almost 700,000 diagnosed each yr. It accounts for about two,500 deaths.

Symptoms

Squamous cell carcinoma usually starts out as a pocket-size, red, painless lump or patch of skin that slowly grows and may ulcerate. It usually occurs on areas of pare that take been repeatedly exposed to strong sunlight, such every bit the head, ears, and hands.

Diagnosing squamous jail cell carcinoma

The main way to diagnose squamous cell carcinoma is with a biopsy. This involves having a minor piece of tissue removed from the suspicious area and examined in a laboratory.

In the laboratory, a pathologist will examine the tissue under a microscope to determine if information technology is a skin cancer. He or she will also stage the cancer by the number of abnormal cells, their thickness, and the depth of penetration into the skin. The higher the stage of the tumor, the greater the chance it could spread (metastasize) to other parts of the torso.

Squamous cell carcinoma on sun-exposed areas of skin (such every bit the face) commonly does not spread. Even so, squamous cell carcinoma of the lip, vulva, and penis are more likely to spread. Contact your doctor well-nigh whatsoever sore in these areas that does not go away after several weeks.

Treating squamous jail cell carcinoma

Well-nigh (95% to 98%) of squamous jail cell carcinomas can be cured if they are treated early. Once squamous cell carcinoma has spread beyond the skin, though, less than half of people live 5 years, even with ambitious treatment.

At that place are many ways to treat squamous prison cell carcinoma that has not spread. These include:

• cutting abroad the cancer and a small amount of healthy tissue around information technology. If a large area of skin is removed, a skin graft may be necessary.
• scraping away the cancer with a surgical tool. An electric probe is used to impale any cancerous cells left behind.
• freezing cancer cells with liquid nitrogen. This treatment is usually used only for very small tumors or for a patch of peel that looks abnormal but isn't notwithstanding cancerous.
• destroying the tumor with radiation.
• shaving away the cancer, 1 thin layer at a time. Each layer is examined under the microscope equally it is removed. This technique helps the doctor preserve as much salubrious skin as possible.
• applying drugs direct to the peel or injecting them into the tumor
• using a narrow laser axle to destroy the cancer.

The handling that is best for you depends on the size and location of the cancer, whether it has returned after previous treatment, your age, and your general health.

Once your treatment is finished, it'due south important to accept regular follow-upward skin exams. Your doctor may want to see you lot every iii months for the first year, for instance, and and so less often later on that.

If squamous cell carcinoma has spread beyond the initial tumor site, radiation therapy tin can exist effective if the cancer is growing in specific, identifiable sites. Widespread metastases do non answer well to chemotherapy.

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Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/squamous-cell-carcinoma-overview