Squamous cell carcinoma is cancer that develops in the squamous cells which are thin, flat cells found in tissues forming the surface of the skin and the lining of various organs and respiratory tract. The squamous cell can be found in several places of the body and hence this cancer can begin anywhere where squamous cells are found. It can develop inside the mouth, the anus, genitals, skin and the head.
Squamous cell carcinomas of the skin
This is a common form of cancer that begins in the squamous cells of the skin and is usually not considered to be life-threatening although it can be aggressive depending on the case. This can develop because of prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from tanning beds. Hence, it mostly affects the parts of the body that are sun-exposed such as the scalp, back of the hands, the ears or the lips. The symptoms of squamous cell carcinomas of the skin include a firm red nodule, a flat sore with a crusty scale, a scaly patch that can develop to an open sore, a sore patch inside the mouth or a raised red patch on or in the anus or genitals. Most of the squamous cell carcinoma can be surgical removed or treated with topical medication. Generally, the treatment option is based on the size, the location, its aggressive nature and the health of the individual. The treatment options for squamous cell carcinoma includes electrodesiccation and curettage where the surface of the cancerous skin is scraped with an instrument, a laser therapy that uses high beamed light to destroy the growth, freezing the cancerous cell with liquid nitrogen or a simple excision to remove the cancerous tissue.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
This is a type of non-small cell lung cancer and some of the risks of developing it include smoking, exposed to radon gas, exposed to asbestos or other cancer-causing agents. As this type of cancer can begin in the center of the lungs, it can present symptoms such as coughing up blood. Additional symptoms can include a cough that doesn’t go away, shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness, discomfort with swallowing and high level of calcium in the blood. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential or it can spread throughout the body. It can present additional symptoms based on the body it has spread such as presenting bone pain if the cancer has spread to the bones. When cancer has not spread beyond the lung, the treatment option is usually a surgery which of three types; wedge resection that removes a small section of the lung, lobectomy removing a single lobe of the lung and pneumonectomy where an entire lung is removed.
References
http://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/squamous-cell-carcinoma-of-the-lung
