Squamous cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes (spreads to other areas of the body), and when spreading does occur, it typically happens slowly. Indeed, most squamous cell carcinoma cases are diagnosed before the cancer has progressed beyond the upper layer of skin.
If left untreated, squamous cell carcinoma can spread to nearby lymph nodes, bones or distant organs (such as the lungs or liver). Normal squamous tissue usually appears flat. When this tissue develops cancer it can appear as round masses that are can be flat, raised, or ulcerated.
Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma is often referred to as a neck cancer because it tends to travel to the lymph nodes in the neck and around the collarbone. Because of this, signs of metastasis may include a painful or tender lump in the neck or a sore throat that doesn't improve or go away.
Organs prone to metastasis include: regional lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and bone. As skin cancers of this variety metastasize, the clinician must recognize this potential when considering therapeutic strategy.
Hanke: The first place SCCs metastasize to is the regional lymph nodes. So if you have a squamous cell carcinoma on your cheek, for example, it would metastasize to the nodes in the neck. But there are treatments for that. Patients can have surgery, radiation and, in some advanced cases, immunotherapy medication.
Metastasis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is rare. However, certain tumor and patient characteristics increase the risk of metastasis. Prior studies have demonstrated metastasis rates of 3-9%, occurring, on average, one to two years after initial diagnosis [6].
Squamous cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes (spreads to other areas of the body), and when spreading does occur, it typically happens slowly. Indeed, most squamous cell carcinoma cases are diagnosed before the cancer has progressed beyond the upper layer of skin.
Most (95% to 98%) of squamous 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 five years, even with aggressive treatment.
In general, the squamous cell carcinoma survival rate is very high—when detected early, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. Even if squamous cell carcinoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the cancer may be effectively treated through a combination of surgery and radiation treatment.
Untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the skin can destroy nearby healthy tissue, spread to the lymph nodes or other organs, and may be fatal, although this is uncommon.
Of those patients who receive treatment for metastatic SCC, 29% relapse within 1-year. The mean time from first metastasis to first relapse is 0.7 ± 0.5 year. Once relapse occurs, the disease-specific survival after 1-year is 44%.
Treatment should happen as soon as possible after diagnosis, since more advanced SCCs of the skin are more difficult to treat and can become dangerous, spreading to local lymph nodes, distant tissues and organs.
What is aggressive squamous cell carcinoma? “Aggressive SCC” or “high-risk SCC” is cancer that is more likely to recur (return after initial treatment) or metastasize (spread to other parts of the body).
SCCs can develop in scars, skin sores and other areas of skin injury. The skin around them typically shows signs of sun damage such as wrinkling, pigment changes and loss of elasticity. SCCs can appear as thick, rough, scaly patches that may crust or bleed.
Recurrence of cSCC indicates an aggressive tumor, and metastatic rates for these tumors are 25–30%. Of cSCC that metastasize, 80% of cases spread to regional lymph nodes, but it has also been found to go to the lungs, liver, brain, bones, and skin.
Yes, squamous cell carcinoma can make you feel tired. It can make a person feel weak and exhausted. During the treatment procedures of squamous cell carcinoma, the patient tends to feel more tired. These types of fatigue that are related to cancer are known as cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
Death from basal and squamous cell skin cancers is uncommon. It's thought that about 2,000 people in the US die each year from these cancers, and that this rate has been dropping in recent years.
As you have seen, squamous cell carcinoma can be deadly, although in many more cases, is disfiguring and unpleasant if left to develop.
Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma
In stage 4, the cancer can be any size and has spread (metastasized) to one or more lymph nodes which are larger than 3 cm and may have spread to bones or other organs in the body.
They are of concern because of the similarity to squamous cell cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the three most common types of skin cancer. Basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma. Squamous cell cancers can metastasize (spread) and should be removed surgically as soon as they are diagnosed.
For a patient with stage IV cancer, age must also be considered to prognose survival. For a patient who is 67 years or older, the expected median survival is a little more than 1 year. If this patient were younger than 67 years, then the expected median survival would be about 2 years.
If you've had SCC, you have a high chance of recurrence. You also have an elevated risk of developing another SCC or basal cell carcinoma (BCC), since sun damage is the primary cause of both forms of skin cancer. If you have had a previous diagnosis of BCC, you also have a greater chance of developing SCC.
SCC is generally a slow growing tumor that tends to grow without physical symptoms. However, some forms of this cancer may be fast growing and painful, especially when the lesions are large.
Squamous cell carcinomas are defined as relatively slow-growing malignant (cancerous) tumors that can spread (metastasize) to surrounding tissue if left untreated. Squamous cell carcinoma may spread to the sinuses or skull base, or other areas of the brain.