What Is Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common forms of cancer to affect humans and animals. Its clinical origin is from the uncontrolled duplication of cells from the epithelium. Squamous cell carcinoma can occur in the internal or external organs of the body, such as skin, lips, mouth, esophagus, prostate and lungs.

Symptoms
Squamous cell carcinoma can present as an ulcerated reddish-skin plaque. Bleeding from the tumor can occur. It may be in the form of a hard plaque or a raised papule, however, many carcinoma lesions are asymptomatic. Most squamous cell carcinomas grow slowly, but do have a significant risk of spreading to other organs within the body.

Causes
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. It usually appears in areas which are exposed to excessive sunlight. Those particularly at risk are individuals who have been exposed to the human papilloma virus, and those with suppressed immune systems.

Diagnosis and Recovery
Squamous cell carcinoma is typically diagnosed with a biopsy of the effected area. It can be difficult to diagnose since there are various clinical presentations of the disease. The prognosis for recovery depends on the stage which the disease is discovered. As with all cancers, the earlier it's diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome for recovery.

Treatment
Removal of the tumor by Mohs surgery, or surgical excision, is the general course of treatment. However, it can also be treated with non-surgical methods which include topical chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, radiotherapy or general systemic chemotherapy, if metastis has occurred.