Published online Nov 10, 2013. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v4.i4.85
Revised: June 26, 2013
Accepted: July 17, 2013
Published online: November 10, 2013
The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) is rising worldwide resulting in demand for clinically useful prognostic biomarkers for these malignant tumors, especially for invasive and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Important risk factors for the development and progression of cSCC include ultraviolet radiation, chronic skin ulcers and immunosuppression. Due to the role of cumulative long-term sun exposure, cSCC is usually a disease of the elderly, but the incidence is also growing in younger individuals due to increased recreational exposure to sunlight. Although clinical diagnosis of cSCC is usually easy and treatment with surgical excision curable, it is responsible for the majority of NMSC related deaths. Clinicians treating skin cancer patients are aware that certain cSCCs grow rapidly and metastasize, but the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the aggressive progression of a subpopulation of cSCCs remain incompletely understood. Recently, new molecular markers for progression of cSCC have been identified.
Core tip: Several molecular markers for progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) have been identified, but a clinically useful panel of biomarkers is still not available. Further studies are required to determine whether prognostic cSCC biomarker panel can be incorporated into clinical practice. In the meantime, while waiting for novel diagnostic and prognostic tools, clinicians must actively advocate public awareness on skin protection against excessive sun exposure in order to lower the increasing incidence of cSCC.