Skin Tumors
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
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- Primary cause of all skin cancers: Over 90% of skin cancers occur on areas of the skin that are regularly exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation.
- Other risks
- predisposition (skin cancers are more common in those who have light colored skin, blue or green eyes, and blond or red hair
- chemical pollution
- overexposure to X-rays or other forms of radiation
- Squamous cell carcinoma occurs in the elderly, especially fair-skinned individuals.
- It has the potential form distant or regional metastasis.
- The incidence of Squamous cell carcinoma is thought to be on the rise in the general population
- In 1990, 600,000 Americans were diagnosed with either basal cell cancer or squamous cell cancer, up from 400,000 in 1980.
- These tumors are malignant
It is most common along the lower eyelid margin. It is more common than basal cell in the upper lid and outer canthus. It represents only 5% of lid epithelial tumors.
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- Treatment consists of wide local excision.
- Microscopic shaving (Mohs' surgery) may remove small tumors.
- Skin grafts may be needed if wide areas of skin are removed
- Malignant: Malignancy is the tendency of a cancer or tumor either to invade the surrounding tissues, to destroy or replace the tissues previously present or to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body)
