ABSTRACT
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer and is a malignant tumour arising from the keratinising cells of the epidermis or its appendages. It accounts for 20% of all cutaneous skin malignancies in the United Kingdom and epidemiologic studies demonstrate a rising incidence worldwide. A well-established relationship exists between cSCC and chronic cumulative exposure to ultraviolet radiation. cSCC most often arises from precursor lesions such as actinic keratosis and cSCC in situ but can also develop de novo on chronically inflamed skin and within wounds, burns, and scars or secondary to exposure to ionising radiation. cSCC types derived from invasive Bowen's disease, and cSCCs arising in radiation or thermal scars and ulcers tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviour and have a higher risk of metastasis. The gold standard of treatment for invasive cSCC consists of complete, histologically confirmed surgical excision of the primary tumour and of any metastases.
