Effective Options For Early Stage Scc
Most squamous cell carcinomas of the skin can be cured when found and treated early. Treatment should happen as soon as possible after diagnosis, since more advanced SCCs of the skin are more difficult to treat and can become dangerous, spreading to local lymph nodes, distant tissues and organs. Find out more about treatment options for advanced or recurring SCCs here.
If youve been diagnosed with an SCC that has not spread, there are several effective treatments that can usually be performed on an outpatient basis. The choices available to you depend on the tumor type, size, location and depth, as well as your age and overall health.
Options include:
How Is Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Of The Head And Neck Diagnosed
Diagnosis is made by clinical exam and a biopsy. Squamous cell cancers are staged by size and extent of growth. Squamous cell cancers can metastasize to nearby lymph nodes or other organs, and can invade both small and large nerves and local structures.
Biopsy can help determine if the squamous cell cancer is a low-risk tumor or a high-risk tumor that requires more aggressive treatment. Low-risk tumors are less than 10 millimeters in size, less than or equal to 5 millimeters deep and do not involve structures beyond the surrounding fat. High-risk tumors in the head and neck are those that involve the central face, nose and eye area, as well as those tumors that are greater than or equal to 10 millimeters on the cheeks, scalp and neck, tumors that are more than 5 millimeters thick or involve adjacent structures, tumors that invade nerves, tumors that are recurrent or arising from previously radiated tissue, and tumors arising in patients who are immunosuppressed.
Preventing Dry And Itchy Skin
Ingredients in skin products to avoid include alcohol or fragrances. These substances can further dry the skin and cause itchiness.
Other tips to prevent dry and itchy skin include:
- drawing lukewarm baths
- taking short showers in lukewarm water
- applying recommended creams and ointments after showering or bathing
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What Kills Skin Cancer Cells
Cryotherapy is used most often for pre-cancerous conditions such as actinic keratosis and for small basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. For this treatment, the doctor applies liquid nitrogen to the tumor to freeze and kill the cells. This is often repeated a couple of times in the same office visit.
What Are The Symptoms Of Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Of The Head And Neck
Squamous cell skin cancers usually present as an abnormal growth on the skin or lip. The growth may have the appearance of a wart, crusty spot, ulcer, mole or a sore that does not heal. It may or may not bleed and can be painful. If you have a preexisting mole, any changes in the characteristics of this spot such as a raised or irregular border, irregular shape, change in color, increase in size, itching or bleeding are warning signs. Pain and nerve weakness are concerning for cancer that has spread. Sometimes a lump in the neck can be the only presenting sign of skin cancer that has spread to lymph nodes, particularly when there is a history of previous skin lesion removal.
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When Might Chemo Be Used
Chemo might be used to treat advanced melanoma after other treatments have been tried, but its not often used as the first treatment because newer forms of immunotherapy and targeted drugs are typically more effective. Chemo is usually not as helpful for melanoma as it is for some other types of cancer, but it can shrink tumors in some people.
What Happens If You Leave Skin Cancer Untreated
It rarely spreads to other parts of the body. This type of skin cancer needs to be treated and has a high cure rate. If left untreated, basal cell carcinomas can become quite large, cause disfigurement, and in rare cases, spread to other parts of the body and cause death.
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Where You Go For Chemotherapy
You may receive chemotherapy during a hospital stay, at home, or as an outpatient at a doctorâs office, clinic, or hospital. Outpatient means you do not stay overnight. No matter where you go for chemotherapy, your doctor and nurse will watch for side effects and help you manage them. For more information on side effects and how to manage them, see the section on side effects.
Common Treatment Options For Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma usually manifests as a sore or growth on the skin. Surgery to remove the cancer and a small portion of the surrounding tissue is often sufficient to successfully treat basal cell carcinoma. The most commonly recommended surgical approaches for treating skin cancer include traditional excision, Mohs micrographic surgery and curettage and electrodessication.
Less commonly, targeted radiation therapy or special ointments may be used instead of or in addition to skin cancer surgery. For example, radiation therapy may be appropriate for patients whose cancer has developed on an area of the body that is difficult to operate on, such as the ears or eyelids.
Moffitt Cancer Centers Cutaneous Oncology Program features a multispecialty team that focuses exclusively on diagnosing and treating skin cancer. By merging individualized treatment with the latest therapies and procedures, Moffitts experts help our patients achieve the best possible outcomes and quality of life. Contact us at or submit a new patient registration form online to learn more.
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Skin Care During Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy often causes dry, irritated skin. Rather than waiting to deal with symptoms after treatment starts, patients can take steps to minimize skin problems about one week before beginning chemo. Then, they can continue the regimen during treatment.
âThere are many things that you can do to prevent that dry skin,â says Lacouture. âPeople tend to think of dry skin as just a cosmetic problem, but dry skin can get so severely dry that it becomes inflamed and more susceptible to infections.â
Lacoutureâs offers these tips to prevent skin problems during chemotherapy:
- Avoid long, hot showers or baths.
- Use gentle, fragrance-free soaps and laundry detergent.
- Use moisturizers, preferably creams or ointments rather than lotions because the thicker consistency is better at preventing skin dehydration. Apply the cream or ointment within 15 minutes of showering. Reapply moisturizer at night, and moisturize your hands every time after you wash them.
- If your skin is very dry and flaky, ammonium lactate cream can increase moisture. These creams are available by prescription and over-the-counter.
- Some chemotherapy drugs make skin more susceptible to sunburn. Use a sunscreen with at least an SPF 30, and make sure that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Protection against UVA requires ingredients such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or avobenzone.
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Considering Complementary And Alternative Methods
You may hear about alternative or complementary methods that your doctor hasnt mentioned to treat your cancer or relieve symptoms. These methods can include vitamins, herbs, and special diets, or other methods such as acupuncture or massage, to name a few.
Complementary methods refer to treatments that are used along with your regular medical care. Alternative treatments are used instead of a doctors medical treatment. Although some of these methods might be helpful in relieving symptoms or helping you feel better, many have not been proven to work. Some might even be harmful.
Be sure to talk to your cancer care team about any method you are thinking about using. They can help you learn what is known about the method, which can help you make an informed decision.
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How Does Skin Cancer Become A Life
You may wonder how cancer on the surface of your skin becomes a life-threatening cancer. It seems logical to think you could just scrape off the skin with the cancer cells or even remove the cancerous skin lesion with a minor skin surgery and thats all that would be needed. These techniques are successfully used if cancer is caught early.
But if skin cancer isnt caught early, something thats just on my skin can grow and spread beyond the immediate area. Cancer cells break away and travel through the bloodstream or lymph system. The cancer cells settle in other areas of your body and begin to grow and develop into new tumors. This travel and spread is called metastasis.
The type of cancer cell where cancer first started called primary cancer determines the type of cancer. For example, if malignant melanoma metastasized to the lungs, the cancer would still be called malignant melanoma. This is how that superficial skin cancer can turn into life-threatening cancer.
How Does Chemotherapy Treat Cancer
In treating cancer, chemotherapy is the use of drugs that kill fast-growing cells. These are non-discriminatory killersthey kill any fast-growing cells in the body, not just cancer cells.
Traditional or standard chemotherapy treats cancer by interfering with cancer cells ability to grow and divide. The drugs do so by disrupting their cycle of cell division.
Cell division is when the cells make copies of their chromosomes and split into two. Many molecules, proteins, and genes work together to divide the cell into two, so there are many ways to disrupt this cycle.
In many cases, these drugs are applied to the entire body, called systemic treatment. Systemic chemotherapy can kill cancer cells that have already spread that doctors havent found yet. But it can also cause widespread side effects, affecting your digestive tract, immune system, hair, skin, and nails.
Doctors use chemotherapy to treat cancer in three ways:
- Cure cancer: Kill as much as possible, so it goes away and doesnt come back
- Control cancer: Shrink the tumors or stop them from growing and spreading
- Slow cancer: Slow the growth of cancers and reduce their symptoms
Chemotherapy drugs can be administered either through a tube that delivers liquid medicine into the blood or in pill form.
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How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Skin
Because this cancer begins on the skin, its possible to find it early when its highly treatable.
When you see a board-certified dermatologist, your dermatologist will examine your skin carefully.
If your dermatologist finds a spot on your skin that could be any type of skin cancer, your dermatologist will first numb the area and then remove all of it. This can be done during an office visit and is called a skin biopsy. This is a simple procedure, which a dermatologist can quickly, safely, and easily perform.
Having a skin biopsy is the only way to know for sure whether you have skin cancer.
What your dermatologist removes will be examined under a high-powered microscope. Your dermatologist or a doctor who has in-depth experience diagnosing skin growths, such as a dermatopathologist, is best qualified to examine the removed tissue under a microscope.
After examining the removed tissue, the doctor writes a biopsy report. Also called a pathology report, this report explains what was seen under the microscope, including whether any skin cancer cells were seen.
If you have squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, the report will contain the following information when possible:
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Type of SCC
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Whether the cancer has any features that make it aggressive
What Foods Fight Skin Cancer
Carrots and leafy greens
Carrots and leafy greens like kale and spinach are great beta carotene-packed additions to your meals, even breakfast smoothies. In particular, leafy greens are high in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. These have been found to protect against wrinkling, sun damage, and even skin cancer.
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What Causes Skin Cancer
The main cause of skin cancer is overexposure to sunlight, especially when it results in sunburn and blistering. Ultraviolet rays from the sun damage DNA in your skin, causing abnormal cells to form. These abnormal cells rapidly divide in a disorganized manner, forming a mass of cancer cells.
Another cause of skin cancer is frequent skin contact with certain chemicals, such as tar and coal.
Many other factors can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. See question, Who is most at risk for skin cancer?
Systemic Chemotherapy For Basal And Squamous Cell Skin Cancers
Systemic chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs that are injected into a vein or given by mouth. These drugs travel through the bloodstream to all parts of the body. Unlike topical chemotherapy, which is applied to the skin, systemic chemotherapy can attack cancer cells that have spread to lymph nodes and other organs.
If squamous cell carcinoma has spread, chemo might be an option, although an immunotherapy drug might be used first.
If chemo is used, drugs such as cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil might be options. These drugs are given into a vein , usually once every few weeks. They can often slow the spread of these cancers and relieve some symptoms. In some cases, they might shrink tumors enough so that other treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy can be used.
Basal cell carcinoma very rarely reaches an advanced stage, so systemic chemotherapy is not typically used to treat these cancers. Advanced basal cell cancers are more likely to be treated with targeted therapy.
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Preparing For Your Appointment
If you spot a suspicious looking wound or skin lesion, then you should consult with your physician immediately. Your doctor might refer you to a specialist like a dermatologist who will be able to diagnose and treat the condition. Those whove had skin cancer before having a higher risk of developing the ailment again, hence they need to be vigilant and go for consistent examinations so that they can catch it early if it happens again.
The following information will help you to prepare for your doctors appointment and give you an idea of what will transpire during the consultation:
How Chemotherapy Is Given
Chemotherapy may be given in many ways. Some common ways include:
- Oral
- chemotherapy is injected directly into the artery that leads to the cancer
- Topicalchemotherapy comes in a cream that you rub onto your skin
Chemotherapy is often given through a thin needle that is placed in a vein on your hand or lower arm. Your nurse will put the needle in at the start of each treatment and remove it when treatment is over. IV chemotherapy may also be given through catheters or ports, sometimes with the help of a pump.
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How Much Chemotherapy Costs
The cost of chemotherapy depends on:
- the types and doses of chemotherapy used
- how long and how often chemotherapy is given
- whether you get chemotherapy at home, in a clinic or office, or during a hospital stay
- the part of the country where you live
Talk with your health insurance company about what services it will pay for. Most insurance plans pay for chemotherapy. To learn more, talk with the business office where you go for treatment.
If you need financial assistance, there are organizations that may be able to help. To find such organizations, go to the National Cancer Institute database Organizations that Offer Support Services and search for “financial assistance.” Or call toll-free 1-800-4-CANCER to ask for information on organizations that may help.
What Are The Treatment Options For Skin Cancer
Most skin cancers are detected and cured before they spread. Melanoma that has spread to other organs presents the greatest treatment challenge.
Standard treatments for localized basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are safe and effective. Small tumors can be surgically excised, removed with a scraping tool and then cauterized, frozen with liquid nitrogen, or killed with low-dose radiation. Applying an ointment containing a chemotherapeutic agent called 5-fluorouracil — or an immune response modifier called imiquimod — to a superficial tumor for several weeks may also work. Larger localized tumors are removed surgically.
In rare cases where basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma has begun to spread beyond the skin, tumors are removed surgically and patients are treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Sometimes disfiguring or metastatic basal cell skin cancers that are not able to be treated by surgery or radiation are treated orally with sonidegib or vismodegib .
There are also drugs that target specific gene changes within normal cells that cause them to become cancerous. Often called targeted therapy, these drugs include dabrafenib , trametinib , and vemurafenib .
People who have had skin cancer once are at risk for getting it again. Anyone who has been treated for skin cancer of any kind should have a checkup at least once a year. About 20% of skin cancer patients experience recurrence, usually within the first two years after diagnosis.
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Patients Can Enter Clinical Trials Before During Or After Starting Their Cancer Treatment
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCIs clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
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