Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is estimated to affect 1 million people in the United States each year. [1] SCC can metastasize in 3%-5% of cases, causing up to 8000 deaths annually. [1][2][3] Known risk factors that predispose to SCC development include fair skin, red hair, male gender, older age, chronic occupational sun exposure (particularly due to UVB), British or northern European ancestry, and immunosuppression. [4][5][6] In addition, several familial syndromes infer an increased risk of developing SCC, suggesting a genetic component. Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients have a germline genetic defect in nucleotide excision repairs (NER), placing them at a 1000-fold increased risk of developing skin cancer, with SCC developing at a median of 8-9 years. [7] Other familial cancer syndromes that infer an increased risk of SCC include Werner syndrome, Bloom syndrome, Epidermodysplasia verruciformis, Ferguson-Smith syndrome, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, Fanconi anaemia, and Oculocutaneous albinism. [7] Beyond familial cancer syndromes, there are otherwise "benign" single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in all cells in the
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.