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Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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Dermatology in Public Health Environments

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most commonly detected skin cancer, although presenting low mortality rates, it has a high impact on health economic burden. SCC is mainly detected in the head, neck, limbs, and areas of higher photoexposure. Both extrinsic and intrinsic individual factors account for the development of skin epidermoid carcinoma. Among the main factors, there are ultraviolet radiation exposure, immunosuppression, human papillomavirus, genodermatosis, chronic dermatosis, arsenic exposure, and ionizing radiation. Its subtypes are actinic keratosis, epidermoid carcinoma in situ, and invading epidermoid carcinoma. The main aims of SCC treatment are total removal of the tumor, minimizing the risk for recurrence and metastasis; preservation of function; and provision of the best possible aesthetic outcome.

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Abbreviations

5-FU:

5-Fluorouracil

AJCC:

American Joint Committee on Cancer

AK:

Actinic keratosis

BCC:

Basal cell carcinoma

CB:

Core biopsy

CT:

Computed tomography

EGFR:

Epidermal growth factor receptor

FNA:

Fine-needle aspiration

HPV:

Human papillomavirus

MMS:

Mohs micrographic surgery

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

NCCN:

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

NMSC:

Nonmelanoma skin cancer

PET:

Positron emission tomography

SCC:

Squamous cell carcinoma

TMB:

Tumor mutational burden

UVR:

Ultraviolet radiation

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Correspondence to Roberto Gomes Tarlé .

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Glossary

Acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma

Variant of SCC characterized by a cleavage of the intercellular bridges, resulting in acantholysis.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death.

Core biopsy

The removal of a tissue sample with a large needle for examination under a microscope.

Desmoplastic SCC

Variant of SCC characterized by a prominent trabecular growth pattern, narrow columns of atypical epithelial cells, and a marked desmoplastic stromal reaction.

Hyperkeratosis

Thickening of the stratum corneum, often associated with the presence of an abnormal quantity of keratin, frequently accompanied by an increase in the granular layer.

Leukoplakia

White patch or plaque of the mucosa and mucocutaneous junction.

Lichen sclerosus

A chronic atrophic disorder mainly of the anogenital skin of females but also of males and of the general skin. Whitish, ivory, or porcelain-white, sharply demarcated, individual papules may become confluent, forming plaques.

Nuclear pleomorphism

Marked variation of nuclear size, nuclear shape, or nuclear staining, a common finding in malignant lesions.

Parakeratosis

A disturbance of keratinization characterized by the retention of nuclei in the stratum corneum.

Photodamage

Skin changes consequent to exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Positron emission tomography (PET)

A nuclear medicine, functional imaging technique that is used to observe metabolic processes in the body.

Punch biopsy

Use of a specialized surgical instrument (punch) for the removal of a full-thickness specimen of the skin (epidermis, dermis, and fat) in a defined area.

TP53 tumor suppressor gene

Mutation of the TP53 tumor suppressor gene is a frequent event in tumorigenesis; the many roles of the protein p53 as a tumor suppressor include the ability to induce cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, senescence, and apoptosis.

Xeroderma pigmentosum

A rare hereditary skin disorder caused by a defect in the enzymes that repair DNA damaged by ultraviolet light and resulting in hypersensitivity to the carcinogenic effect of ultraviolet light.

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Tarlé, R.G., Bertolini, W., Biasi, L.J., Gadens, G.A. (2023). Squamous Cell Carcinoma. In: Rangel Bonamigo, R. (eds) Dermatology in Public Health Environments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13505-7_16

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