What is squamous cells

Complete the form and you may end up on our website. Squamous Cell Carcinoma Overview. What is a squamous cell? What does SCC look like? Risk Factors. Warning Signs.

Advanced Treatment. SCCs can also occur in other areas of the body, including the genitals. An open sore that bleeds or crusts and persists for weeks. A wart-like growth that crusts and occasionally bleeds.

How dangerous is SCC? Did you know? How widespread is SCC? People who have them usually develop more than one. AKs tend to grow slowly and usually do not cause any symptoms although some might be itchy or sore. They sometimes go away on their own, but they may come back. A small percentage of AKs may turn into squamous cell skin cancers.

Most AKs do not become cancer, but it can be hard sometimes to tell them apart from true skin cancers, so doctors often recommend treating them. If they are not treated, you and your doctor should check them regularly for changes that might be signs of skin cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma in situ, also called Bowen disease , is the earliest form of squamous cell skin cancer. Bowen disease appears as reddish patches.

Compared with AKs, Bowen disease patches tend to be larger, redder, scalier, and sometimes crusted. Like most other skin cancers and AKs , these patches most often appear in sun-exposed areas.

Bowen disease can also occur in the skin of the anal and genital areas where it is known as erythroplasia of Queyrat or Bowenoid papulosis. This is often related to sexually transmitted infection with human papillomaviruses HPVs , the viruses that can also cause genital warts. Bowen disease can sometimes progress to an invasive squamous cell skin cancer, so doctors usually recommend treating it.

People who have these are also at higher risk for other skin cancers, so close follow-up with a doctor is important. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin Open pop-up dialog box Close. Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin Sun-exposed areas such as the lips and ears are especially likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

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Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Where skin cancer develops Open pop-up dialog box Close. Where skin cancer develops Skin cancer begins in the cells that make up the outer layer epidermis of your skin. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Habif TP. Premalignant and malignant nonmelanoma skin tumors. Louis, Mo. Accessed May 14, Alam M, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Sun safety.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed May 21, Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Rochester, Minn. Squamous cell skin cancer. Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

Niederhuber JE, et al. Nonmelanoma skin cancers: Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.