SCC (Squamous
Cell Carcinoma)

SCCs (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) are the second most common non-melanoma skin cancer, after BCCs. They account for 30% of non-melanoma skin cancers around the eyes. They usually appear where the skin has had most exposure to the sun (head, neck, hands, forearms and lower legs).

Although most are not life threatening, they have the potential to spread along nerves and vessels and therefore must be completely excised. Around the eyes, they can be very subtle and often require higher magnification to be seen. SCCs vary in appearance. Some can look like thin, red, ulcerated skin, while others are thick, elevated hyperkeratotic lesions.

Dr Stelmach removes SCCs in the operating theatre, usually as a day procedure under local anaesthetic with intravenous sedation ("twilight" anaesthetic, not a general anaesthetic). A pathologist confirms that the cancer has been completely removed before the reconstruction commences.

For SCCs close to the eye, surgery involves removing the full thickness of the whole eyelid then reconstructing each layer with microsurgery. This has been performed in the two cases shown.

For more information please visit: www.cancer.org.au