skin disorders
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Introduction
Squamous cell carcinoma is cancer that begins in the squamous cells of the skin. Thick, scaly growths appear on the skin and do not heal. To diagnose the cancer, doctors do a biopsy. Treatment with surgery, chemotherapy applied to the skin, and sometimes radiation therapy can usually cure the cancer unless it has spread. If the cancer has spread, people may be given medications called PD-1 inhibitors. If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it can be fatal. Squamous cells (keratinocytes) are the main structural cells of the epidermis (the outer layer of skin). Squamous cell carcinoma is cancer of these cells. Each year in the United States, 1.8 million people are diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of Overview of Skin Cancer after People who have had more sun exposure to their skin have a higher risk of developing squamous cell skin cancer. People who have light skin are much more susceptible to squamous cell carcinoma than people who have dark skin. Squamous cell carcinoma may develop on normal skin but is more likely to develop in damaged skin. Such damage includes Precancerous skin growths caused by previous sun exposure ( Actinic keratoses ) Chronic sores on the skin or in the mucus membranes (such as those that line the eyes, nose, and lungs) or genitals Skin that has been scarred, particularly by burns In the mouth, precancerous skin growths appear as white or red spots ( Precancerous changes in the mouth or Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Situ and possibly 