What happens if I refuse treatment for SCC? (Photo)

Question

I went to doctor for what I thought was a spider bite,the bump grew within a month he done biopsy and the results was SCC on my right forearm, he wants to do surgery but I refuse,would this type of skin cancer spread and if so how long would it take?

Tarek M. Fakhouri, MD · Answer

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. There are many types of SCC. Some grow slowly and may take a long time to spread. Others can grow rapidly and become highly aggressive and dangerous. When SCC is aggressive it tends to spread from the skin the lymph nodes. In your case the SCC has the potential to spread to the lymph nodes of the elbow if it is untreated.Thankfully, treatment for SCC is typically fast, effective, and low risk. Surgery is often performed in an office setting with local numbing shots. High risk SCC cancers are usually treated by a Mohs surgeon who will analyze the tumor under the microscope to ensure that it has been completely removed. Mohs surgery is the gold standard and produces a complete cure in up to 99% of patients.I recommend you talk further with your dermatologist to learn more about your treatment options. Take care!

Omar Ibrahimi, MD, PhD · Answer

Squamous cell cancer can and usually does grow larger and larger if untreated. Roughly 5-10% of squamous cell cancers can spread (metastasize) and it depends on the nature of your cancer in terms of how long this would take. I would advise you to followup with your dermatologist to have a discussion of treatment options because I am confident you will be able to settle on one that is reasonable for you.

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