1. How many people
will get squamous cell carcinoma?
It’s the second most common form of skin cancer, affecting
more than 200,000 people each year. It’s two to three times
more common in men than in women and is usually found on sun exposed
areas of the body such as the face, ear, neck, lip, and backs of
hands.
2. Who can get squamous
cell carcinoma?
Anyone can get this disease, but it’s more common among men
than women and the incidence of the disease rises sharply with advancing
age in both sexes.
3. What do squamous
cell carcinomas look like?
Squamous cell carcinomas usually are raised, red or pink scaly nodules
or wart-like growths that ulcerate in the center. They typically
develop on the edge of the ears, the face, lips, mouth, hands, and
other sun exposed areas of the body.
4. Is squamous cell
carcinoma serious?
Squamous cell carcinomas tend to be more aggressive than basal cell
carcinomas and more often invade tissues beneath the skin. They
are slightly more likely than basal cell carcinomas to spread to
distant parts of the body. Even so, less than one percent of squamous
cell carcinomas of the skin spread to lymph nodes and other organs.
Approximately 1,900 deaths result from squamous cell carcinoma of
the skin each year.
5. Can squamous cell
carcinomas be cured?
Yes. The cure rate is very high. Ninety-five percent of all squamous
cell carcinomas can be cured if detected and treated early. With
Mohs micrographic surgery, the cure rates for most squamous cell
carcinomas is 99% or better.
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