Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer (after basal cell carcinoma Basal Cell Carcinoma Carcinoma is a medical word for cancer. Basal cells are a type of cell in your skin. So basal cell carcinoma is a kind of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer... read more )

It usually develops on skin that’s been exposed to the sun, but it can grow anywhere on the skin or in the mouth

Fair-skinned people are more likely to get it than darker-skinned people

Usually squamous cell carcinoma doesn't spread, and doctors can cure the cancer by removing it

Sometimes the cancer spreads to other parts of your body and can be deadly

Thick, red, and scaly

Irregular in shape

Crusty

Raised, firm, and wart-like

An open sore and grow into the tissue underneath it

Scrape and burn it with an electric needle

Cut it out with surgery Surgery for Cancer Cancer surgery is when doctors operate to remove cancerous tumors. Usually, doctors operate only when: The cancer hasn't spread (metastasized) anywhere Your body is strong enough to go through... read more

Kill the cancer with extreme cold (cryosurgery) or radiation Radiation Therapy for Cancer Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses beams of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink cancer tumors. Doctors use radiation to treat many types of cancer, including head, neck... read more

Put chemotherapy Chemotherapy and Other Systemic Cancer Treatments Systemic treatments are those that have effects throughout the body rather than being applied directly to the cancer. Chemotherapy is a form of systemic treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer... read more medicine on the cancer

If the cancer has spread to other parts of your body, your doctor may use radiation therapy Radiation Therapy for Cancer Radiation is a form of intense energy generated by a radioactive substance, such as cobalt, or by specialized equipment, such as an atomic particle (linear) accelerator. Radiation preferentially... read more

Stay out of the sun—sit in the shade, try to avoid the sun between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm

Don't sunbathe or use tanning beds

Wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, and hats with broad brims

Use sunscreen that’s at least 30 sun protection factor (SPF)—it's important to use more sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating