Squamous cell cancer in situ refers to cancer that affects the squamous cells that remain in the outer layer of the skin. The spot grows slowly in most cases, but if left untreated, it has a chance of developing into a more serious form of skin cancer.

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What is Bowen’s Disease

Bowen’s disease is a type of skin cancer that develops very early and is easily treated. A red, flaky spot on the skin is the most common symptom. The most reliable way to reduce your risk of Bowen’s disease, as well as other more serious types of skin cancer, is to limit your direct sun exposure.

Is Bowen’s disease severe?

Bowen’s disease isn’t usually life-threatening. It grows very slowly over months or years, and there are a number of highly effective treatments for it. The problem is that if Bowen’s disease is left untreated or ignored, it can progress to a type of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.

It’s estimated that 1 in 20 to 1 in 30 people with untreated Bowen’s disease will experience this. Squamous cell skin cancer is usually treatable, but it can spread far deeper into the body and be very dangerous.

Symptoms of Bowen’s Disease

Bowen’s disease is characterized by a spot on the skin with clear edges that does not heal. Some people have more than one spot.

The spot might be:

red or pink
scaly or crusty
flat or raised
approximately a couple of centimetres throughout
scratchy (however not all the time)

red or pink scaly or crusty scaly or crusty scaly or crusty scaly or crusty scaly or crusty scaly or crusty scaly or crusty scaly or (however not all the time)

The spot can appear anywhere on the body, but it is most common on exposed areas such as the lower legs, neck, and head. They can have an effect on the groin and, in men, the penis.

When to get medical suggestions

If you have a persistent red, flaky spot on your skin and don’t know what’s causing it, see your doctor.
Bowen’s disease can mimic other conditions like psoriasis or eczema, so it’s critical to get a proper medical diagnosis.
If necessary, your doctor will refer you to a dermatologist (skin specialist) to determine the nature of the problem.
If your doctor is unsure about the cause, they may ask you to remove a small sample of skin so that it can be examined more thoroughly (a biopsy).

Causes of Bowen’s disease

Bowen’s disease generally impacts older individuals in their 60s and 70s.

The specific cause is uncertain, however it’s been carefully related to:

long-lasting direct exposure to the sun or usage of sunbeds– particularly in individuals with reasonable skin
having a weak body immune system– for instance, it’s more typical in individuals taking medication to reduce their body immune system after an organ transplant, or those with HELP
formerly having radiotherapy treatment
the human papillomavirus (HPV) — a typical infection that typically impacts the genital location and can trigger genital warts

Bowen’s disease does not run in households and it’s not transmittable.

Treatments for Bowen’s disease

There are a variety of treatment choices for Bowen’s disease. Talk to your skin specialist about which treatment is most appropriate for you.

The primary treatments are:

Cryotherapy involves spraying liquid nitrogen on the affected skin to freeze it. The treatment may be painful, and the skin may be irritated for a few days. Within a few weeks, the impacted skin will scab over and fall off.
The impacted skin is treated with imiquimod cream or chemotherapy cream (such as 5-fluorouracil) on a regular basis for a few weeks. It is possible that your skin will become red and swollen before it improves.
curettage and cautery—the infected area of skin is scraped away under regional anaesthetic, where the skin is numbed, and heat or electrical power is used to stop any bleeding, leaving the area to scab over and heal after a few weeks.
Photodynamic treatment (PDT) involves applying a light-sensitive cream to the affected skin and then using a laser to destroy the irregular cells a few hours later. The treatment lasts between 20 and 45 minutes. It’s possible that you’ll need more than one session.
Surgical treatment: Under regional anaesthesia, the irregular skin is removed, and stitches may be required later.

In a couple of cases, your skin specialist might simply encourage monitoring your skin carefully — for instance, if it’s extremely sluggish growing and they feel the negative effects of treatment will surpass the advantages.

Looking after your skin treatment

After treatment, you might require follow-up visits with your skin specialist or GP to see if you require any additional treatment. If you had surgical treatment, you might require to have any stitches eliminated at your GP surgical treatment a couple of weeks later on.

After treatment:

see a GP if an existing spot begins to bleed, alter in look or establishes a swelling– do not await your follow-up consultation
see a GP if you observe any fretting brand-new spots on your skin
ensure you secure your skin from the sun– use protective clothes and utilize a sun block with a high sun security aspect (SPF) of a minimum of 30