Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Risk Stratification and Staging
Abstract
Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is one of the most common forms of cancer in Canada with an estimated 76,100 cases in 2014, accounting for approximately 28% of all new cancer cases. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common type of NMSC and has a greater risk of metastases and death compared with the more common NMSC, basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The vast majority of cSCC are primary low risk; however, higher risk primary, locally advanced, regional or distant metastatic cases can result in a significant decrease in survival. In 2019, the first systemic therapy for cSCC, cemiplimab, was approved in Canada. The aim of this article is to review the epidemiology, risk stratification and available staging systems for cSCC to help clinicians better identify patients that may benefit from further work-up or treatment.
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