I’m 48 years old. A few months ago a small growth appeared on the upper side of my left forearm. It looked like a wart, but I went to a doctor recently and had it excised and biopsied. It was a squamous-cell carcinoma. The doctor told me there was almost nothing to worry about since squamous cell is one of the least dangerous forms of cancer. Still, it’s hard not to stress about this. I trust your always excellent feedback. What is a squamous-cell carcinoma? Does it metastasize at predictable rates? How much do I really have to worry about? If it makes any difference, I smoked cigarettes off and on for 30 years, but quit for good 14 months ago. –Neil Flowers, Santa Cruz
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Nothing like cancer to make an aging baby boomer realize he’s not a kid anymore. Not to argue with your doctor, but “least dangerous” is not a term I would apply to squamous-cell carcinoma. It is much less dangerous than some cancers, but it can spread and it can kill you. What’s more, if you’ve had it once, there’s a significant risk that you’ll get it again. See a doctor immediately about any new growths. Also, while the damage has probably already been done, I’d skip any future sunbathing–squamous-cell carcinoma appears to be directly related to solar exposure.
The cure rate for squamous-cell carcinomas is on the order of 90 percent–not an entirely comforting figure. The thinner and smaller the tumor, the better the odds it won’t recur. One study reported a 99.5 percent cure rate for growths less than one centimeter in diameter, but only 59 percent for those larger than three centimeters, a compelling argument for not procrastinating on getting your suspicious bumps looked at.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): illustration/Slug Signorino.
