Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a global-spread form of skin cancer, affecting % of the world population. Squamous cells compose the second layer of the skin. They are characteristic of their small size and flat shape. When a squamous cell becomes cancerous, it means that the cells are reproducing uncontrollably and form an abnormal mass of tissue, which may form into a skin tumor that differentiates into two types: flat or raised. Such a tumor may become red and swollen. This type of cancer is usually visible when small, red, painless lumps or patches of skin start to grow and ulcerate. This occurs on skin which has been exposed to strong sunlight. People will be at a higher risk of acquiring SCC if, in their past, have been exposed to strong…show more content… If a large area of skin is removed, a skin graft may be necessary.
• scraping away the cancer with a surgical tool. An electric probe is used to kill any cancerous cells left behind.
• freezing cancer cells with liquid nitrogen. This treatment is usually used only for very small tumors or for a patch of skin that looks abnormal but isn't yet cancerous.
• destroying the tumor with radiation.
• shaving away the cancer, one thin layer at a time. Each layer is examined under the microscope as it is removed. This technique helps the doctor preserve as much healthy skin as…show more content… The diagnosis rate is higher in higher temperature regions. As previously stated, people with a UV-sensitive condition such as xeroderma pigmentosum, which makes them more prone to sun damage, are more vulnerable to the disease. Patients with reduced immune system due to a medical condition such as HIV or to certain medical treatment such as chemotherapy or antirejection drugs used after transplant surgery are at a higher risk of obtaining SCC. Organ transplant patients are approximately 100 times more likely than the public to develop squamous cell carcinoma. Chronic infections and skin inflammation increase your risk of SCC. There might also be a slight inheritance component to acquiring SCC. Tanning beds add such an enormous number to diagnoses to skin cancer. More than 419,000 cases of skin cancer are a direct result of indoor tanning and of those 168,000 are SCC. In a year more than one-million cases of SCC are diagnosed in the United States alone. 1500 of those cases result in deaths due to the late treatment. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the cost of treating skin cancers in the United States is 8.1 billion dollars. Of that money 4.8 billion dollars is from nonmelanoma skin cancer, which is what SCC is. The statistics clearly show that SCC and all other types of skin cancers are not something to put aside. If there are even the slightest signs of skin cancer go see a
