Squamous Cell Carcinoma

SCC (Squamous cell carcinoma) is one of the more common forms of skin cancer. Each year in the United States, approximately 700,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer. Dr. Andrew offers screening and treatment at his Boca Raton and Delray Beach dermatology offices. 

These tumors usually form on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun, including the hands and face. People who don’t use adequate sun protection are at greater risk. Those who practice indoor tanning are especially high-risk, and they are more likely to develop skin cancer earlier in life. 

This form of skin cancer has the potential to spread, affecting other areas of the body. However, it can be effectively cured when detected and treated early.

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Sun damage is cumulative, so people who have indulged in sunbathing for many years are most often affected. 

SCCs develop as lesions on the skin, usually found on the arms, legs, hands, face, or ears. However, it can appear anywhere on the body. It may manifest as: 
 

• A recurring wound, or one that will not heal

• A rough-feeling lump

• A lump in the skin that keeps growing

• A dome shaped lesion, which may bleed easily or become crusty

• A slow-growing, flat, scaly patch of reddish skin

• A growth under a fingernail or toenail that destroys the nail

Experts estimate that 40 to 60 percent of SCC in adults over the age of 40 begins with a pre-cancerous growth called actinic keratosis. The symptoms of these pre-cancers include: 
 

• A patch of skin that itches or burns

• A skin growth or rough area that is easily irritated or painful when abraded

• Small, dry, rough, scaly, pinkish patches of skin

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