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A common type of skin cancer that begins when UV light from the sun damages the skin and causes a cancerous tumor.
What is it?
Squamous cell carcinoma originates in the squamous cells that form the middle and outer layers of the skin. This prevalent skin cancer type usually poses no life-threatening risk. However, if left untreated, it can expand in size and shape, and even metastasize to other body parts. If it penetrates too deep into the skin, squamous cell carcinoma can potentially damage nerves, blood vessels and any other structures in its path.
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, tanning beds or lamps can trigger squamous cell carcinoma. The cancer appears as a hard bump or nodule on the skin. Symptoms can vary but commonly include a rough, red, or scaly patch, an unhealing open sore, a wart-like growth or a sore appearing within an old scar.
If the bump persists for more than two months or if the nodule doesn't disappear, please visit a board-certified dermatology provider at our offices in Bridgeport, Clarksburg, Elkins, Hurricane, Morgantown, Parkersburg, South Charleston and Wheeling, West Virginia; in Waynesburg and Uniontown, Pennsylvania or in Marietta, Ohio. In this case, early detection is key.
How is it treated?
Diagnosis starts with a skin exam by your dermatologist. If your spot appears potentially cancerous, we will extract a sample for further analysis. We send these samples, or skin biopsies, to our lab for microscopic examination. This diagnosis will tell us whether your tissue is benign (normal, non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), the exact type of squamous cell skin cancer and/or if the cancer exhibits any other characteristics that make it more aggressive or worrisome.
Our cancer specialists have advanced training and certification in a wide array of skin cancer treatments including surgical excision, Mohs surgery, immunotherapy, targeted drug therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. While squamous cell carcinoma is typically non-life-threatening, early detection and treatment can minimize the size of your cancer, reducing the chances of disfigurement.