Skin squamous cell carcinoma (recurring)

Maggie Lynn - I am so sorry you have had to fight this battle for so long. I have been in a "siege" with multiple of SCC eruptions for over 2 years, with multiple MOHS procedures, even more excisions, and lots and lots of "we can freeze that one" every time I get a skin check (every 3 months). My doctors tell me that these kinds of frequent episodes occur with no clear reason beyond "sun exposure" in my youth. They have said such multiple occurrences subside with time for similarly obscure reasons. In early July I had three extensive MOHS procedures on my right leg which - given past experience - I knew would take months to heal. One is still draining a bit and my ankle still swells on occasion, but I am grateful to say they are almost all three closed over almost 6 months later, and I'm down to simple 1" Vaseline and Bandaids for wound care. The even better news is that I have had no new "spots" since the July surgery as I write this. I was instructed to take 1,000 units of B3 (Nicotinamide) every day and have been doing so for over a year now. As well, the surgeon looked at all the red patches on my legs and prescribed Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP 0.1% which I have been using since summer twice a day for 2 weeks with 1 week off in between applications. The skin on my legs is less aggravated and looks healthier. I can't say for sure the cream is why, but it certainly seems to help quiet my skin. I think I may have told you all this before, but since you are facing yet another round of surgeries and wound care, I thought it bore repeating as some ideas to check with your dermatologist if you haven't already. Again, I am sorry you have to go through this. I don't know anything about the cryotherapy procedure you mention. I tried to find some recommendation for treatment other than MOHS, but everything else I looked into seemed to be contraindicated for SCC on the legs. I send you heartfelt wishes for patience and complete healing. Let me know how you get along. I hope some of those 7 new eruptions can be treated with less invasive procedures. But please stay on top of your outbreaks. A few of mine have been the ultra aggressive kind that can be very problematic. We do what we have to do! Blessings! Anna

Never had my dermatologist (Mayo Jacksonville) mention Cryotherapy Enhanced Treatment. I have found out though that squamous can be caused by other things than just sun damage years ago.

HPV, injuries, sores, etc. I was told can evolve into squamous. I have had a lot of basal cell cancer and I think 3 squamous.

Has anyone mentioned HPV as possible cause. It is a common virus that can be caught many different ways and remains dormant for decades but can resurface. I was told squamous cancer can develop from sores, injuries, irritation caused by the HPV virus.

I was getting all my basal cells and squamous cancer in high sun exposure areas and the last one in an area with almost NO sun exposure but a sore that developed and scab. Then pathology gave several explanations of how developed into squamous.

I hope your treatment helps!

maffielynn, This is the first time I have heard the term "reactive squamous." Did they explain this to you?

I do know that I was recently told that squamous can develop out of injuries, cuts, etc. I was not aware of that either.

What you are saying is that you are getting squamous in the scar for the surgery you did for the squamous. This is terrible! Did they do the MOHS surgery when you had the surgery? With MOHS they keep removing until all signs of cancer in the margins are gone.

I am no expert but seems your skin is reacting to injuries. Maybe the UM specialist is trying something new and dealing with this reaction to surgery incisions and scars. I did have one friend that was getting a lot of skin cancer and was doing chemo on her skin. She is gone now (moved away) so can't asked.

I wish you well and wish I could help and provide more information. There is a Cleveland Clinic not far from you in south Florida that a lot of people go to for second opinions.
Good luck and hope you can address this recurring issue.

I am so sorry to hear this! I wish I could say that I have the answers to your problem with squamous cells, but can't, mostly because I, now 55 years old, having almost the same physical description as you, have had over ten squamous cell a a couple basal cells removed surgically or scraped off. I wish you the best! Good luck to you with your current/ recent procedure!
Angie K.

You bring up a good point, as my dermotologist mentioned getting the Gardasil (HPV) vaccine to attack squamous as it also attacks HPV.
I am looking into getting that now. I understand that insurance will not pay for that vaccine if one is older than 45 years of age. I left a message to see what the cost will be out of pocket, but I will get the vaccine anyway.

Hi maggielyn,
Thank you for that info., I had never heard of Gardasil as a treatment before. I am 55 and will certainly look into this as a possibility.

Very interesting. Was told by dermatologist and PCP that the HPV can be the source of the squamous cancers. They did not tell me getting the vaccine would help attack the squamous and also attacks HPV. That sounds promising.

I wonder if you get the vaccine prior to getting HPV is the goal they are mentioning? And if the benefit of the vaccine would be the same after getting HPV. But seems your dermatologist mentioned it could attack the squamous.

I asked if I had HPV and they said they could test but nothing they could do if I did have it. Looks like I need to dig deeper into this.

my understanding is that the gardasil vaccine will not help get rid of HPV if you already have it, and most of us over 55 have or have had it already, thus no vaccine for us.
I think the dermatologist is referring to a woman that had the vaccine injected into already existing tumors that appeared because of having the virus, and the tumors disappeared.
That was somewhere around 2018? I think.
Don't know if they have ever replicated that with others or not.
Wish it was a possibility since my cancer is related to HPV 16TH.

My husband has recently had 3 squamous cell cancers removed on the same leg. Now he has a new spot on the other leg. I very concerned about the recurrence of so many and wonder if there is something that can be done in addition to just continuing to remove them as they occur.

samclembeau, same thing told to me by Mayo. Getting the HPV vaccine does not treat or cure it if you already have it and why they try to vaccinate teens as most everyone will be exposed to or get the virus.

My last squamous was found in a sore and a lot of explanations including HPV, sore, injuries,etc. When they mentioned HPV I asked if I could be tested for it and was told yes but if you have it already nothing can be done for it and almost everyone has been exposed to it or has it.

Not reassuring and never had heard squamous cancer could come from this virus, nor from injuries, etc. I always thought was from past sun exposure.

Bummer but made me start checking my entire body not just the areas exposed to past sun and present sun.