Common Drug Treatments For Squamous Cell Skin Cancer
Drug treatments for squamous cell skin cancer are the usual first course of treatment for mild to moderate cases where the abnormal cells have not spread to other parts or organs of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma or SCC is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer. The good news is that while this type of skin cancer is quite common, it can be cured if treated early and is the least likely to spread. Treatment is straightforward and easy, especially if the abnormal tumors are thin and small.
Drug treatments for squamous cell melanoma usually consist of topical creams that are applied directly to the affected area. One of the most commonly prescribed is imiquimod, a type of immune system activator that is commonly sold under the brand name Aldara. It may not be considered as one of the drug cures for squamous cell skin cancer but it has shown efficacy in treating skin tumors or growths in 75% of the patients who participated in clinical trials for the drug. It is also used to treat actinic keratoses, a pre-cancerous skin growth that appears flat and scaly, usually on the scalp or face areas. Imiquimod is also effective in treating genital warts and superficial basal cell carcinoma.
How Drug Treatments For Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Works
Imiquimod is an immunomodulator. Its action is to stimulate the body’s immune system in order to build up its immune response. The drug is believed to bind to immune cells which stimulates them to release cytokines, which are the body’s natural defense chemicals. Cytokines are known to prevent and stop viral infections by blocking the viruses’ ability to multiply. The drug is known to cause the same action in abnormal skin cells.
Another one of the most commonly prescribed drug treatments for squamous cell skin cancer is fluorouracil. It is the drug of choice for individuals for whom more conventional methods are not recommended or if the abnormal growths are found on the areas of the scalp or face.
Fluorouracil is known as a chemotherapy drug. It acts by damaging the DNA or RNA of the abnormal cells and preventing them from dividing and multiplying. Because of these actions, the cells die. This type of chemotherapy will kill these cells and cause any existing tumor to shrink. This action is known as apoptosis or cell suicide.
Being an antimetabolite, fluorouracil is considered as one of the most effective treatments for melanoma skin cancer. It works by interacting with cellular metabolism. The drug is cell-cycle specific, which means that it can block the cells at certain phases in the cycle of development, which makes it effective against abnormally dividing cells.
Can Fraxel Treatments Cause Skin Cancer Of The Nose?
Fraxel laser treatments are typically given to individuals as a skin resurfacing treatment that removes blemishes, dark spots and superficial wrinkles. While the treatment utilizes a laser beam to remove skin imperfections, there are no indications or studies that can prove the treatment raises the risk of a patient developing skin cancer. In fact, it is actually used to remove actinic keratoses and thus prevent the growth from becoming cancerous.
