Well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma meaning in hindi

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is the second most common form of skin cancer. This cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells arising from the squamous cells in the epidermis, the skin's outermost layer. It is sometimes called cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) to differentiate it from very different kinds of SCCs elsewhere in the body (e.g. lung). Cutaneous is the scientific word for "related to or affecting the skin."
More than 1 million cases of squamous cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year. Incidence has increased significantly in the past three decades.

What do SCC's look like?

SCC's can appear in different forms:

• Scaly red patches
• Open sores that doesn't heal
• Warts that grows in size
• Recurrent scabbing or crusting
• Wet, fungating growth that oozes and/or bleeds
• Nodules that grow rapidly or elevated growths with a central depression

SCCs may occur on all areas of the body, including the mucous membranes and genitals, but are most common in areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as the rim of the ear, lower lip, face, balding scalp, neck, hands, arms and legs. The skin in these areas often reveals telltale signs of sun damage, including wrinkles, pigment changes, freckles, "age spots," loss of elasticity and broken blood vessels.

Are SCC's dangerous?

If caught early, most squamous cell carcinomas are curable and cause minimal damage. However, the larger and deeper a tumour grows, the more dangerous and potentially disfiguring it may become, and the more extensive the treatment must be. SCC's can be classified according to their pathological grades. The most common form is SCC-in-situ which is also known as Bowen's Disease, or Intraepidermal Carcinoma (IEC). These are SCC's on the very surface of the skin, which has not yet developed the potential to invade or spread. Invasive SCC's are divided into three grades: well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated in the order of least aggressive to the most aggressive. Poorly-differentiated SCC's are known to grow rapidly, metastasis and can be highly recurrently. If left untreated, SCCs may spread (metastasize) to local lymph nodes, distant tissues and organs and can become life-threatening. Treatment of metastatic SCC often include extensive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

What are SCC's caused by?

Cumulative, long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun over your lifetime causes most SCCs. Daily year-round sun exposure, intense exposure in the summer months or on sunny vacations and the UV produced by indoor tanning devices all add to the damage that can lead to SCC. Experts believe that indoor tanning is contributing to an increase in cases among young women, who tend to use tanning beds more than others do.

How are SCC's diagnosed?

SCC's are diagnosed with a biopsy (a sample of tissue from the lesion), which is examined under a microscope by a pathologist. Often, the subtype/grade of the SCC can be determined with the biopsy sample.

What are the treatments available for SCC's?

Fortunately, there are several effective ways to eradicate squamous cell carcinoma. Treatment recommendation is based on the tumor's type, size, location and depth of penetration, as well as the patient's age and general health. IEC's can generally be treated with topical treatment or minor surgery. Invasive SCC's often require surgery, with or without adjuvant radiotherapy.

Talk to your doctor about your best options of treatment.

To find out more about Skin Cancer and Surgery, visit our page on Skin Cancer Surgery or read our blogs on skin cancers. 

After cancer is diagnosed, healthcare providers will begin to determine the grade and stage of the cancer.  This helps them to plan the best treatment and look at overall outcomes and goals.

What does the grade of a cancer mean?

The grade of a cancer describes what the cancer cells look like using a microscope. Most cancers are graded by how they compare with normal cells.  Low grade or grade I tumors are well-differentiated. This means that the tumor cells are organized and look more like normal tissue. High grade or grade III tumor cells are  poorly differentiated. This means that the tumor cells don't look like normal cells. They're disorganized under the microscope and tend to grow and spread faster than grade I tumors. Cancer cells that don't look well-differentiated or poorly differentiated are called moderately differentiated, or grade II. In general, cancer cells are graded using the scale below. (Be aware that some may use grade 3 as the highest grade):

• Grade X. Grade isn't known

• Grade 1. Well differentiated, low grade

• Grade 2. Moderately differentiated, intermediate grade

• Grade 3. Poorly differentiated, high grade

• Grade 4. Undifferentiated, high grade

What does the stage of a cancer mean?

Once cancer is diagnosed, you will need more exams and tests to find out how much cancer is in your body and where it is. These exams and test will also help tell if the cancer has grown into nearby areas and if it has spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The stage of a cancer is one of the most important things to know when deciding on how to treat the cancer. 

Each cancer, by organ, has its own staging system. In most cases, the stages are listed as Roman numerals and can have a value of I through IV (1 to 4). The higher the number, the more advanced the cancer is. Letters and numbers can be used after the Roman numeral to give more details.

Depending on your type of cancer, you may hear about the TNM system to describe the stage. TNM isn't used to stage all types of cancers. T describes the original tumor and how deep into nearby tissue it has spread. N describes if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. M describes if the cancer has spread, or metastasized, to other areas of the body.

Stages of cancer  

Each type of cancer tumor has its own, often complex, staging system. The following is a general list of stages of cancer:

• Stage 0 or carcinoma in situ. Carcinoma in situ is considered pre-malignant or pre-cancer. Abnormal cells are found only in the first layer of cells in the place where the changes first started. The cells do not invade the deeper tissues. These cells may become cancer over time, so it's good to find and treat them before that happens. Most kinds of cancer do not use this stage. 

• Stage I. Cancer is only in the cells where it first started and the area is small. This is considered early stage and most curable.

• Stage II. Cancer is in the organ where it first started. It may be a bit larger than stage I and/or may have spread to nearby lymph nodes.

• Stage III. Cancer in the organ where it first started. It may be larger than stage II and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes and/or other nearby tissues, organs, or structures. 

• Stage IV. Cancer has spread to organs in other parts of the body ( metastasized). There may be cancer in different organs, but it's still the same type of cancer as where it first started. For instance, colon cancer that spreads to the liver is not liver cancer, it's stage IV colon cancer with liver metastasis. The cancer cells in the liver look like the cancer cells in the colon and are treated like colon cancer. 

• Recurrent. Recurrent cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the same area or in a different part of the body.

Higher numbers usually mean more extensive disease, larger tumor size, and/or spread of the cancer beyond the organ where it first developed. Higher grade and stage cancers tend to be harder to cure and often require more intense treatments. 

Once a stage is assigned and treatment given, the stage is never changed. For instance, a stage I cancer of the cervix is treated. Two years later, the same cancer has spread and is now found in the lung. It isn't now stage IV, but is still stage I, with recurrence to the lung.

The important thing about staging is that it determines the appropriate treatment, helps healthcare providers make a prognosis, and allows for comparison of treatment results.

Cancer grade and stage can be very complex and confusing. Ask your healthcare provider to explain these details about your cancer to you in a way you can understand. Consider bringing a friend or family member to your visits to help support you.

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