The significance of histopathological examination in the diagnosis and classification of skin cancer

Skin cancer is a highly malignant cancer. Among the various types of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma has the highest incidence, while basal cell carcinoma has a lower incidence. Histopathological examination can effectively diagnose and classify skin cancer, which has important guiding significance for subsequent treatment.

Basal cell carcinoma

The characteristics of basal cell carcinoma in histopathological examination are a group of tumor cells with clear boundaries, slightly larger nuclei than normal, oval or elongated, less cytoplasm, unclear boundaries between cells, no bridges between cells, and therefore many nuclei are densely distributed in a common plasma, and there is no significant difference in nuclear staining. Sometimes cells with multiple nuclei, darkly stained nuclei or irregular stellate nuclei can be seen, connective tissue proliferates around the tumor cell group, and the outermost layer is arranged in a palisade-like plug-like cell. Many immature fibroblasts and mature fibroblasts are often seen mixed around the tumor tissue.

Squamous cell carcinoma

In histopathological examination, squamous cell carcinoma cancer cells mostly form masses or cords that proliferate and invade the dermis, among which there are varying numbers of normal and atypical incompletely differentiated squamous cells and dyskeratinized cells. It should be noted that the more atypical squamous cells there are, the higher the malignancy, which can be manifested as unequal cell sizes, atypical nuclear divisions, dark staining, basophilic cytoplasm, and no intercellular bridges. Those with a higher degree of differentiation develop in the direction of keratinization to become keratinized squamous cells, and the closer to the center, the more keratinized they are, and the center can be completely keratinized.