Squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common skin cancer in the United States, according to MayoClinic.com, develops in the outer, epidermal skin layer. Most squamous cells carcinomas arise in sun-exposed areas. Other risk factors include smoking, burns, a family history of disease, organ transplantation and radiation treatments. Around 2,300 people die from squamous cell cancer each year, which metastasizes, or spreads from the original site, in 1 to 30 percent of cases, the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology reports. Treatment varies, depending on the area of metastasis.
Surgery
If squamous cell carcinoma spreads to nearby lymph nodes, surgery to remove the nodes may prevent further spread of the cancer, the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center states. Surgical removal of metastasized cancers to other areas may consist of cutting out, or excising, the metastasized cancer if the tumor isn’t too large, or removing layers of the skin around the tumor until no further cancer is found, a procedure called Mohs’ surgery. Large surgeries may require plastic surgery for reconstruction. Surgical removal of tumors is also the most commonly used treatment for distant metastasis, cancers that metastasize to areas far from the original cancer site, reports the University of California San Francisco in an article about metastatic disease in transplant patients.
Radiation
Radiation may be used to treat metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, notes DermNetnz.org. Small doses of radiation given over several weeks reduce radiation side effects, which include redness, warmth, peeling and ulceration of the skin. Radiated sites may include the original cancer site, the metastatic site and the group of lymph nodes that drain lymph from the cancerous site, according to the University of California San Francisco. Surgical removal of lymph nodes is often followed by radiation.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy alone rarely cures metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, reports the University of California San Francisco, but it may be used for distant metastases to improve quality of life by temporarily controlling painful or disfiguring tumors. Chemotherapy in conjunction with radiation may be used as an alternative to surgery in patients unable to tolerate surgery or those whose tumors aren’t able to be removed. Chemotherapy agents most commonly used to treat metastatic squamous cell carcinoma include include cisplatin, carboplatinin, paclitaxel, doetaxel, 5-flurouracil and methotrexate.
