Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is usually not life-threatening, though it can be aggressive. Untreated, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin can grow large or spread to other parts of your body, causing serious complications.
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. There are many ways to treat squamous cell carcinoma that has not spread.
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.
Squamous cell carcinoma is most curable in the early stages before it spreads. If it's diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate is approximately 99%. To protect yourself, get a professional skin cancer examination at least once a year and perform monthly self-examinations of your skin.
Stage 2 squamous cell carcinoma
In stage 2, the cancer is larger than 2 centimeters across, and has not spread to nearby organs or lymph nodes, or a tumor of any size with two or more high risk features.
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.
Signs and symptoms of metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary include a lump or pain in the neck or throat. Check with your doctor if you have a lump or pain in your neck or throat that doesn't go away. These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary.
Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. If squamous cell carcinoma spreads to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body, chemotherapy can be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as targeted drug therapy and radiation therapy.
The key warning signs are a new growth, a spot or bump that's getting larger over time, or a sore that doesn't heal within a few weeks. (See Signs and Symptoms of Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer for a more detailed description of what to look for.)
Systemic chemotherapy is not widely used for treating squamous cell carcinoma. In most cases, the cancer cells are confined to one area of skin and, if detected early, can be effectively addressed with localized treatments, such as surgery.
Squamous cell cancers can usually be removed completely (or treated in other ways), although they are more likely than basal cell cancers to grow into deeper layers of skin and spread to other parts of the body.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is usually not life-threatening, though it can be aggressive. Untreated, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin can grow large or spread to other parts of your body, causing serious complications.
Basal or squamous cell skin cancers may need to be removed with procedures such as electrodessication and curettage, surgical excision, or Mohs surgery, with possible reconstruction of the skin and surrounding tissue. Squamous cell cancer can be aggressive, and our surgeons may need to remove more tissue.
Most squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin can be cured when found and treated early. 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.
It is estimated that about 2,000 people die from basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer each year. Older adults and people with a suppressed immune system have a higher risk of dying from these types of skin cancer. It is estimated that 7,990 people will die from melanoma in the United States in 2023.
Age over 50: Most SCCs appear in people over age 50. Fair skin: People with fair skin are at an increased risk for SCC. Gender: Men are more likely to develop SCC. Sun-sensitive conditions including xeroderma pigmentosum.
Squamous cell carcinoma initially appears as a skin-colored or light red nodule, usually with a rough surface. They often resemble warts and sometimes resemble open bruises with raised, crusty edges. The lesions tend to develop slowly and can grow into a large tumor, sometimes with central ulceration.
Squamous cell cancer usually occurs on the face, ears, neck, hands, or arms. It may occur on other areas. The main symptom is a growing bump that may have a rough, scaly surface and flat reddish patches.
Squamous cell skin cancer is highly treatable when found early. A board-certified dermatologist can often treat an early squamous cell skin cancer in the office.
On average, most people will recover within two to four weeks after treatment to remove cancer from their body. Your healthcare provider will meet with you a few weeks after treatment to make sure your body is healing properly and to make sure treatment was successful at removing cancer.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an epithelial malignancy involving many anatomical sites and is the most common cancer capable of metastatic spread. Development of early diagnosis methods and novel therapeutics are important for prevention and mortality reduction.
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.
The most common sites are the lung (21%), bone (18%), central nervous system (6%) and liver (4%). Distant metastasis is generally associated with a poor prognosis with a 3-year disease-free survival rate in adult transplant patients of 56% (3).
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).