Carcinoma in situ, squamous cell definition - medical term
An early stage of skin cancer. Also
known as Bowen's disease.
T his is a tumor that develops from the squamous cells which are flat, scalelike
cells in the outer layer of the skin (the epithelium). The term "in situ" (borrowed
from the Romans) means "in the natural or normal place" and, in the case of cancer,
it says that the tumor cells are still confined to the site where they originated
and they have neither invaded neighboring tissues nor metastasized afar.
The hallmark of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease) is a persistent,
progressive, slightly raised, red, scaly or crusted plaque. Bowen's disease may
occur anywhere on the skin surface (or on mucosal surfaces such as the mouth).
Under the microscope, atypical squamous cells are seen to have proliferated through
the whole thickness of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) but to have gone
no farther.
The cause of Bowen's disease classically was prolonged exposure to arsenic. Today,
Bowen's disease occurs most often in the sun-exposed areas of the skin in "older"
white males.
Treatment options include freezing with liquid nitrogen, cauterization (burning),
surgical removal, and chemosurgery.
Bowen's disease is named after the American dermatologist John Templeton Bowen
(1857-1941).
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