What is Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

Squamous cell carcinoma is also called squamous cell carcinoma, also known as epidermal cancer. It is a malignant tumor that occurs in the epidermis or appendage cells. Cancer cells have different degrees of keratinization. More common in areas covered by scaly epithelium, such as the skin, mouth, lips, esophagus, cervix, vagina, etc. In addition, some areas such as the bronchus, bladder, and renal pelvis are not covered by squamous epithelium, but squamous cell carcinoma can be formed by metaplasia of squamous epithelium.

Basic Information

nickname

Epidermal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma

English name

squamous cell carcinoma

English alias

epider-moid carcinoma

Visiting department

dermatology

Common locations

Skin, mouth, lips, esophagus, cervix, vagina, etc.

Common causes

Related to low immune function and race

Common symptoms

Verrucous mass or infiltrated hard spots, solid texture, cauliflower-like

Contagious

no

Causes of squamous cell carcinoma

The incidence is related to race, with squamous cell carcinoma occurring more than 45 times in whites. The incidence of skin squamous cell carcinoma in immunosuppressed patients is significantly higher, especially in organ transplant patients.

Clinical manifestations of squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is often cauliflower-like in appearance, and sometimes the cancerous tissue is necrotic and falls off to form an ulcer, which produces a malignant odor. If the cancerous cell develops to a deep level, it will form an aggressive growth. Cancer cells can also metastasize to distant places, forming secondary tumors.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is a red induration in the early stage, and later develops into wart-like lesions and infiltration, often with ulcers, purulent secretions, and odors, which are found in the temporal, forehead, and lower lips.

Squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis

The diagnosis of the disease requires pathological examination of the diseased tissue. Under the microscope, it can be seen that the proliferating epithelium penetrates the basement membrane and infiltrates into the deep layer to form irregular stranded cancerous nests. According to the degree of differentiation of cancer cells, it is divided into high, medium and low differentiation. Highly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma has a low degree of malignancy, while poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma has a high degree of malignancy.

Squamous cell carcinoma treatment

Surgical resection is the main method, and radical resection can be used in the early stage. Surgical, radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined treatment is better in the middle and late stages.