Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), a malignant proliferation of cutaneous epithelium, represents 20% to 50% of skin cancers. Although the majority of cSCCs are successfully eradicated by surgical excision, a subset of cSCC possesses features associated with a higher likelihood of recurrence, metastasis, and death. The proper identification of these aggressive cSCCs can guide additional work-up and management. In the first article in this continuing medical education series, we discuss the incidence, recurrence rates, mortality rates, and risk factors associated with cSCC and review the staging systems used to stratify patients into high- and low-risk groups. The second article in this series reviews the treatment options for cSCC, with focused attention on the management of high-stage tumors.

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Evaluation of the utility of localized adjuvant radiation for node-negative primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with clear histologic margins.

In this article we discuss the development of noninvasive imaging modalities to help delineate tumor margins of basal cell carcinomas in the setting of Mohs micrographic surgery. A review of the available literature reveals that dermoscopy can help delineate basal cell carcinomas before surgical removal but that it has no benefit over clinical inspection in reducing the number of Mohs stages. In contrast, fluorescence confocal microscopy has a sensitivity of 88-96% and specificity of 89-99% for the detection of basal cell carcinomas and can potentially serve as a rapid means for tumor evaluation on ex vivo specimens. Optical coherence tomography has shown some success in the presurgical evaluation of tumor margins in vivo, before surgical excision. With ongoing developments in device portability, speed of image retrieval, and image resolution, these technologies are likely to gain traction in cutaneous oncology research and practice. It is therefore important for dermatology clinicians and researchers to understand the mechanisms, principal uses, advantages, and limitations of each device.

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