Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)

It is the second most common type of skin cancer; together these two are referred as no melanoma skin cancer. Among the one million cases of skin cancer diagnosed in USA, about 20% will be SCC. It is mainly caused by exposure to the sun’s Ultra Violet (UV) rays. Factors involved in occurrence of SCC are as follows:

Fair skin.

Blonde or red hair; blue or green eyes.

History of indoor tanning.

Diagnosed with actinic keratoses (AKs).

Family history of skin cancer.

Weakened immune system (immunosuppression).

History of exposure to coal tar products or arsenic. It is also referred to as "epidermoid carcinoma" and "squamous cell epithelioma". It is more aggressive on persons those who are suffering from lymphoproliferative disorders (i.e. leukemia) regardless of their location. Other form of cancers such as Head and Neck cancer, Esophagus cancer, Lung cancer and in Prostate develops due to SCC. An estimated 700,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths. Males are affected with SCC at a ratio of 2:1 in comparison to females. Aging being the main reason for this disease, peak incidence is usually around 66 years old.