Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

Skin squamous cell carcinoma is common in the exposed parts of the skin of the elderly. The skin lesions are often small, hard, red nodules with unclear boundaries at the beginning, which are easy to evolve into verrucous or papilloma-like. There may be scales on the surface, and ulcers are prone to occur in the center. The surface of the ulcer is granular, prone to necrosis and bleeding. The ulcer has a wide edge and protrudes from the skin surface in a cauliflower shape. It has a firm texture and is accompanied by a foul odor. Metastasis may occur in the late stage. The treatment of this disease is mainly surgical excision and chemotherapy.

For patients with skin squamous cell carcinoma with small and limited tumors, surgical resection is the first choice for treatment. For patients with large lesions or metastases that are not allowed for surgical treatment, chemotherapy can be selected. No matter which treatment method is used, it should be as thorough as possible to avoid metastasis. The treatment method can be selected according to the size of the tumor, the degree of tissue differentiation, the age and physical condition of the patient. Surgical resection is the best, and Mohs surgical resection is recommended. Photodynamic therapy, retinoic acid, interferon, electrocautery and other treatments can also be used. Radiotherapy is only effective for some patients. Patients with metastasis or advanced stage can try chemotherapy with cisplatin, doxorubicin or bleomycin.