Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common type of skin cancer. It is derived from squamous cells, the flat cells that make up the outside layers of the skin, the epidermis. These cells are keratinising i.e., they produce keratin, the horny protein that makes up skin, hair and nails.

Invasive SCC refers to cancer cells that have grown into the deeper layers of the skin, the dermis. Invasive SCC can rarely metastasize (spread to distant tissues) and may prove fatal.