Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Signs, Risk Factors & Diagnosis

RGCIRC Team

General

5 February, 2020

Squamous cell Carcinoma (SCC) is a type of skin cancer which usually presents as non healing ulcers but can grow below the skin and spread to draining nodes or distant organs.

Warning Signs

Sore or wound that doesn’t heal
Flat or little raised red/ brown patch that can have bleeding, itching, pain

Risk Factors

Certain factors are associated with an increased risk of developing a SCC

Previous sun exposure (UV light)
Previous skin damage such as burns or a major scar
Non healing wounds and draining sinuses in persistent infection
Actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin condition

Progression

SCC can spread to the draining lymph nodes or distant organs.

Diagnosis

If there is a suspicion of a SCC, a biopsy is performed which is usually an incisional biopsy in which a small area of tumour is sampled for histopathological examination.

Treatment in a Nutshell:

Wide local excision of the primary tumour is curable in non metastatic disease. Most of the patients with SCC will require some kind of reconstructive surgery (split skin grafting or flap) to cover the defect.

For patients with lymph node metastasis, a radical lymph node dissection will often be required.

Outcome:

Surgery is curable in non metastatic SCC.

In patients with metastatic disease, survival depends upon the extent of distant metastasis and feasibility for resection.

Our team

Consultant Musculoskeletal Oncologist – Dr Manish Pruthi
Consultant Radiation Oncologist – Dr Swarupa Mitra
Consultant Medical Oncologist – Dr Doval / Dr Ullas Batra
Consultant Pediatric Oncologist – Dr Gauri Kapoor / Dr Sandeep Jain
Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Dr Rajan and more team of doctors