Dr. Gross on the Prognosis of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Neil D. Gross, MD, FACS, professor and director of Clinical Research, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgery, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the prognosis of patients who are diagnosed with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Head and neck cancer encompasses a broad range of cancers that can develop in the mouth, thyroid, skin, salivary glands, and sinuses, says Gross. Each subtype has a different prognosis, he adds. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is one such subset that has been understudied. The primary reason for this is that skin cancers aside from melanoma are too common to account for in national registries.

Early-stage cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is typically treated in the community setting. Once the disease progresses to an advanced stage, patients are referred to centers of excellence due to the aggressive nature of the disease, concludes Gross.