Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Epithelioma): Causes, Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Epithelioma): Causes, Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Write short note on epithelioma.

Answer. It is also called “squamous cell carcinoma”.

• squamous cell carcinoma is the second common malignant tumor of skin after basal cell carcinoma.
• squamous cell carcinoma arises from prickle cell layer of the skin.
• sq uamous cell carcinomausually affcts elderly males.

“Symptoms Of Squamous Cell Carcinoma”

Epithelioma Clinical Features

• squamous cell carcinoma is an ulcerative or cauliflwer-like lesion.
• Edges are *everted and *indurated.
• Base is indurated and it may be subcutaneous tissue,muscle or bone.
• Floor contains cancerous tissue, which look like granulation tissue.
• squamous cell carcinoma is pale, *friable, bleed easily on touch.
• Surrounding area is also indurated
• Mobility is usually restricted.

Epithelioma Investigations

• Wedge biopsy from edge.
• FNAC from lymph node
• USG/CT scan to identify the nodal disease
• MRI to identify local extension.

“Best Treatments For Squamous Cell Carcinoma”

Epithelioma Treatment

• Radiotherapy using radiation needles, moulds, etc. is given.
• Wide excision, 2 cm clearance followed by skin grafting or flps.
• Wide excision should show clearance both at margin as well as in the depth.
  • If muscle, fascia, cartilage are involved, it should be cleared.
  • Reconstruction is usually done by primary split skin grafting. Delayed skin grafting can also be done once wound granulates well.
  • Often flops of different type are needed depending on the site of lesion.

“Risk Factors For Squamous Cell Carcinoma”

• Amputation with one joint above.
• For lymph nodes, block dissection of the regional lymph nodes is done.
• Curative radiotherapy is also useful in tumors which are not adherent to deeper planes or cartilage as squamous cell carcinoma is radiosensitive.
  • It is also useful in recurrent squamous cell carcinoma and in patients who are not fi for surgery.
  • A dose of 6000 cGy units over 6 weeks; 200 units/day is used. Recurrence after radiotherapy is treated by surgical-wide excision.
• In advanced cases with fied lymph nodes, palliative external radiotherapy is given to palliate pain, function and bleeding.
• Chemotherapy is given using methotrexate, vincristine, bleomycin.
• Field therapy using cryoprobe or topical florouracil or electrodesiccation.