The epidermis or top layer of skin is primarily composed of squamous cells. Squamous cell carcinoma occurs whenever there is an uncontrolled, abnormal growth of these cells. It is the second most common type of skin cancer, with more than one million cases being diagnosed annually. It also has a higher death rate than basal cell carcinoma, accounting for around 8,000 fatalities each year.

Surgery options for squamous cell carcinoma include:

This type of skin cancer spreads fairly rapidly and can result in disfigurement, organ damage, or even death if not caught soon enough. Squamous cell carcinoma surgery can be completed very quickly, often with very little wait time between a diagnosis and the actual procedure, ensuring you the best possible odds of recovery.

If you have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, surgery is really your only option. Fortunately, the various procedures used to treat this condition are so safe that they can be performed on almost anyone, even those with underlying health conditions.

A biopsy could be needed to confirm your diagnosis. We will also collect a health history from you to determine if you are at risk from having complications from anesthesia. If so, pre-operative blood work could be ordered as well.

That will depend on the procedure you are having. More about this will be discussed during your consultation.

This also varies according to the procedure, but could be anywhere from one to six hours.

You may expect some tenderness, itching, or numbness near the area where cancer was removed. A follow-up appointment could also be needed with your primary care physician to ensure you are indeed cancer free.

Whether or not you will have scars is not important. What is important is removing all of the squamous cell carcinoma so that you can be cancer free again.

You will instantly notice that the offending lesion is gone, and will breathe a sigh of relief knowing there is no more opportunity for your cancer to spread.

There is no set time frame for this. You must continue to protect yourself from cancer in the future in order to prevent developing squamous cell carcinoma again in the future.

Treatment and recovery from skin cancer is stressful, which is why many patients in Dayton who have overcome this disease reward themselves with one of our medical spa procedures.