Squamous Cell Cancer
Squamous
Cell Cancer:
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common
type of skin cancer. The squamous cell is found in
the outer layers of the skin (the epidermis) and is a type of keratinocyte
(a cell that makes the
protein keratin). A squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is a form of skin
cancer which is usually the
result of long term sun damage to the skin. Squamous cell carcinomas
enlarge slowly and steadily
and can invade neighboring tissue, like the eye. They can also spread to
distant parts of the body
(metastasize) if not treated early. The only way to tell for sure if a
skin growth is cancerous is to
biopsy it. A biopsy does not remove the cancer, it only takes off the very
top (like the tip of an
iceberg). Sometimes the skin will heal after the biopsy because it grows
over the cancer. This
does not mean the cancer is gone, it means the cancer is now covered with
a blanket of skin. If
the cancer is not removed completely it can go deep into the skin and
metastasize to the internal
organs causing death. .
Signs and
Symptoms: It
is most often encountered in elderly, fair-skinned individuals who have a
history of chronic sun
exposure. Patients presenting with this lesion may demonstrate a roughened
scaly patch of tissue
on or near the lid margin or in the canthal region. The area is typically
red, elevated and nodular,
with crusted and/or bloody margins. Often, patients describe this lesion
as “a non-healing scab.”
According to one study, the most common presentation involves nodular
ulceration as the disease
progresses, resulting in hemorrhagic or purulent discharge. Squamous cell
carcinoma in its early
stages is easily confused with a multitude of other eyelid lesions, both
malignant and benign. Some
of these lesions include basal cell carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma,
follicular keratosis,
actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, and keratoacanthoma. Rarely are
patients with squamous
cell carcinoma symptomatic, displaying only mild irritation in most cases.
Acuity is not affected
unless the lesion is so large as to obscure the visual axis.
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