Learn what a typical Skin cancer (squamous cell) prognosis is at Consumer Reports Health.

Skin cancer (squamous cell)

What will happen to me?

Nobody can say for sure what will happen to you if you have squamous cell skin cancer.

What happens to you depends on many things.

Source:
Lohmann CM, Solomon AR.
Clinicopathologic variants of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
Advances in Anatomic Pathology. 2001; 8: 27-36.

Most people are cured completely after surgery. However, in about 1 in 100 or 2 in 100 people, the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

Source:
Alam M, Ratner D.
Cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 975-83.

² If this happens, the cancer is harder to cure.

We also know that certain squamous cell skin cancers are more serious than others.

Source:
Alam M, Ratner D.
Cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 975-83.

As with all cancers, the earlier your skin cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better your chance of a cure.
If your cancer is larger, it will be harder to treat. A tumor larger than about 7/8 of an inch (2 centimeters) across is three times more likely to spread.
If your tumor is more than 1/6 of an inch (4 millimeters) deep, it's more likely to spread.
If your cancer is on your lip or ear, it's more likely to spread than if it's on other parts of your body.
If your cancer shows up on injured or scarred skin, it's more likely to spread than if it shows up on healthy skin.

If you're black, squamous cell skin cancer may be more serious. In black people, this cancer is often diagnosed later, which makes it harder to treat. We don't know why the condition is diagnosed later in black people.

Source:
Marks R.
Squamous cell carcinoma.
Lancet. 1996; 347: 735-738.

Sources for the information on this page:

Lohmann CM, Solomon AR.Clinicopathologic variants of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.Advances in Anatomic Pathology. 2001; 8: 27-36.

Alam M, Ratner D.Cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma.New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 975-83.

Marks R.Squamous cell carcinoma.Lancet. 1996; 347: 735-738.

This information was last updated on Apr 14, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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