Can a squamous cell carcinoma go away on its own? I have a squamous cell cancer.

Question

i am suppose to have mohs surgery , but it is getting smaller.

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

It is not uncommon for a skin cancer to either enlarge or shrink at different time points. However, resolution of a skin cancer without some sort of treatment will not occur. If you're scheduled for Mohs you would be best served by moving forward with it. Skin cancers can be very locally destructive and usually require more extensive surgery and reconstruction the longer they have had to grow. On occasion they can appear to not grow on the surgery but continue to proliferate below the surface where you cannot see them. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Christopher Crosby, MD, PhD · Answer

After a biopsy, small skin cancers can sometimes appear to shrink as the biopsy wound heals. There is a tiny chance that the biopsy was deep enough to remove all of a small squamous cell carcinoma. However, in the vast majority of cases, there are remaining cancer cells in the shrinking biopsy scar. Squamous cell carcinoma can become dangerous if allowed to grow for too long. There is no good reason to take that chance. I would recommend following up with your Dermatologist to discuss treatment options.

Laurie Jacobson, MD · Answer

There is a type of squamous cell carcinoma called a keratoacanthoma which can spontaneously regress but more than likely your cancer appears to be getting smaller because it was biopsied and the top was removed.  My patients ask me all the time if they really need to get their cancerous lesions removed because they look so much better and appear to have been treated by the biopsy.  Unfortunately, the biopsy only removes a small portion of the lesion and the remainder is still there.  Do have your skin cancer treated..it will continue to grow unchecked and can spread along nerves and cause much larger problems than it already is causing.  In very rare cases it can also be fatal if left untreated.  Please see a member of the American College of Mohs Surgery for your treatment.

Steven Hacker, MD · Answer

A subtype of squamous cell cancer is called Keratoacanthoma and this subtype can on occasion spontaneously regress . A skilled dermatologist should evaluate this . All squamous cell cancers should be treated.

Omar Ibrahimi, MD, PhD · Answer

Skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma tend to require treatment and commonly do not spontaneously go away. The area may appear to have healed on the surface following the biopsy but a biopsy is not a treatment. It is just a sampling to confirm a diagnosis. If you have questions about this, its best to discuss with your Mohs surgeon to make sure you understand why it is important to have the lesion treated.

Can a squamous cell carcinoma go away on its own? I have a squamous cell cancer.

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Answer: Squamous cell cancers do not resolve on their own

Answer: Squamous cell cancers do not resolve on their own

Answer: Squamous cell carcinoma and treatment

Answer: Squamous cell carcinoma and treatment

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Can a squamous cell carcinoma go away on its own? I have a squamous cell cancer.

Answers (6)

Answer: Squamous cell cancers do not resolve on their own

Answer: Squamous cell cancers do not resolve on their own

Answer: Squamous cell carcinoma and treatment

Answer: Squamous cell carcinoma and treatment

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Mohs Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.