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Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Overview
- Squamous cell carcinoma is an irregular, scabby, plaque.
Morphology
- Squamous cell carcinoma are irregularly-shaped; are pinkish in hue, are plaques (meaning they are elevated), and have characteristic hemorrhagic crusts (scabs).
Key Clinical Features
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the 2nd most common skin cancer of all but is only rarely lethal.
- It typically arises from sun-exposed areas, but also injured tissue (scar tissue).
- Pay special attention for squamous cell carcinoma in immune-suppression/organ transplant patients, in which it can be much more aggressive (cancers (including basal cell carcinoma) are typically more common in immune-suppressed patients but SCC even more so).
- It's highly treatable but can easily metastasize from certain sites (such as the ear).
Additional Considerations
- Actinic keratosis is a SCC precursor.
- Seborrheic keratosis is a SCC mimicker.
Image References
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (left image)
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (right image)