What Is Squamous Cell Carcinoma

There seems to be more awareness of skin cancer recently. This may be due to a combination of things. Firstly more understanding of the causes of the disease are prompting awareness campaigns on popular media like TV and radio. Also, more people are doing things that put them at risk to the disease. There is also a suggestion that certain changes in the environment might be the cause for the increasing number of people getting skin cancer. This article will cover what is squamous cell carcinoma, one of the three types of the disease.

The early signs of squamous cell carcinoma are a red mark or spot forming on the top of the skin or epidermis. Squamous cell carcinoma is known to spread so the mark may get bigger and develop into an irregular shaped mark of blemish. Eventually the blemish may become scaly or hard. It may develop a lesion and bleed in some cases. If it isn't treated the carcinoma will spread but normal to surrounding skin cells on the surface of the skin.

Another case of squamous skin cancer is known as Bowen's disease. This is more common in older people (60 plus in most cases) and more common in women. It will appear as a red rash that is elevated from the surface layer of the skin. As it progresses the affected cells will become scaly and may form lesions.

Particularly bad cases of squamous cell carcinoma may look like large ulcers or lesions on the skin. They can occur on all areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun but mainly on the face and neck.

As the condition is often in prominent positions (like the face) and is often very noticeable, it is usually picked up fairly quickly. Treatment generally involves removing the area of skin affected. This can be done through excision or by freezing the cells. It is a relatively straightforward procedure that can be done in a doctors surgery.

Preventing squamous skin cancer is obviously more desirable than ever having to treat it. The best way to prevent any skin cancer is to limit the amount of time you spend in the sun or appliances that expose the skin to UVA and UVB radiation (like sun beds). The length of time depends on your skin type but no matter what type it is you should avoid excessive sun tanning and sunburn.

If you must go out in the sun then wear protective clothing and a wide brimmed hat. Wear eye protection and sunscreen. You should reapply the sunscreen every few hours (or the recommended usage advice on the sunscreen bottle).

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