Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Get your skin checked if you notice any warning signs.

It's normal to develop moles, freckles, and other growths in the skin, but some signs can indicate you may be developing skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma symptoms may include skin patches that:

• Become rough, scaly, or crusty
• Are sensitive and bleed easily
• Have open sores that won't heal
• Look like warts

If you notice any new or unusual changes to your skin, it's always a good idea to get them checked by your primary care doctor or dermatologist. Some skin growths can be caused by other health conditions, so getting a medical opinion can help you rule out cancer and find the cause of any changes.

Be cautious in the sun and proactive about skin checks.

You can't undo any sun damage that's already been done to your skin, but you can decrease your risk of squamous cell carcinoma by:

• Cover exposed skin in broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) over 30 anytime you go outdoors
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming or sweating
• Seek shade whenever possible
• Wearing sun protective clothing, sunglasses, and wide-brimmed hats
• Checking your skin once a month for new or abnormal growths or marks

Early detection is important, as squamous cell carcinoma can easily be treated when it's found early. If you notice something unusual on your skin, always get it checked out sooner rather than later. And, if you have a high risk of skin cancer, you should talk to your doctor about how frequently you should get your skin evaluated by a dermatologist.

We offer the full range of treatments for both precancerous skin lesions and all variants of skin cancer.

There are many options for successfully treating squamous cell skin cancers—and even skin areas with precancerous characteristics like actinic keratosis. Because our experts focus exclusively on diagnosing and treating skin cancers, we have the skill and resources to personalize options that will lead to your best outcome, including your aesthetic results.

Because these cancers don't often spread, many treatments can be performed as outpatient procedures in your doctor's office. After treatment, you can expect us to follow up regularly to ensure nothing is growing back. By being proactive about surveillance, we can quickly detect something early when it's easily treatable.

Surgery

Most of the time, we can easily remove squamous cell tumors using surgery. Sometimes, these abnormal growths are removed using a shape or punch biopsy during the diagnostic process. Other times, the tumor has grown deeper into the skin and we need to use one of the following surgical options:

• Mohs micrographic surgery: This has the highest cure rate for these cancers, and as an added benefit, it preserves as much healthy skin as possible. During the procedure, a specially-trained dermatologist scrapes out the cancer cells layer by layer, examining each layer under a microscope until no cancer remains.
• Cryosurgery: Your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill cancerous cells. Once it thaws, the dead tissues fall off.
• Curettage and electrodessication: For low-risk tumors, your surgeon will numb the area and use a spoons-shaped instrument to scrape away any cancerous tissue. Then, they'll use an electric needle to control bleeding and destroy any potentially cancerous cells that remain.
• Laser therapy: This treatment vaporizes cancer cells in the outer layer of skin using a narrow beam of light.

Our skin cancer experts also work closely with MedStar Health's world-renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeons, when appropriate. If squamous cell tumors are large and the wounds cannot be closed with sutures, we may reconstruct the skin using grafts or flaps to ensure a natural cosmetic outcome that minimizes scarring. This is especially important for tumors that may develop in highly visible places, like the nose, cheeks, ears, or neck.

Chemotherapy

For most patients with squamous cell carcinoma, systemic therapies, like chemotherapy, are not necessary. These cancers are generally contained to one location and successfully removable by surgery. However, sometimes topical chemotherapies may be used to treat low-risk carcinomas and precancerous skin lesions.

If the cancer does spread to other parts of the body, your care will include expertise from a medical oncologist who may recommend advanced drugs and therapy combinations based on the latest research.

Learn More About Chemotherapy

Immunotherapy and targeted therapy

While these therapies play an important role in treating life-threatening skin cancers, like melanoma, they are not generally used to treat squamous cell carcinoma tumors.

Learn More About Immunotherapy

Learn More About Targeted Therapy

Radiation therapy

Sometimes, your doctors will recommend external beam radiation therapy, which is a powerful cancer treatment. This can be useful for patients with a high risk of surgical complications or those with a greater risk of recurrence. If this is an appropriate treatment option for you, a radiation oncologist will use state-of-the-art technology and the right dose and frequency of radiation to maximize your results while minimizing any side effects to your skin.

Learn More About Radiation Therapy