The treatment for moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma depends on various factors such as the size, location, and stage of the cancer, as well as the patients age, general health, medical history, and personal preferences. Here are some of the treatment options available:

• Surgery: Surgical removal is often recommended to remove squamous cell lesions, particularly those classified as high risk. The surgery involves injecting a local anesthetic and removing the tumor from the skin along with a “safety margin” to ensure that all of the cancer cells have been removed. The wound is then closed with stitches. Mohs surgery has the highest cure rate of all therapies for squamous cell carcinomas. It is particularly effective for high-risk squamous cell carcinomas, such as large, deep tumors; tumors that have recurred after other treatments; and tumors in areas, such as the face, that require as much preservation of normal skin as possible.

• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams of radiation to kill cancer cells. It is often used for larger squamous cell carcinomas and those that go deeper into the skin. Radiation therapy might be used with surgery or other treatments. External beam radiation therapy, superficial radiation therapy, and brachytherapy are some of the types of radiation therapy used to treat squamous cell carcinoma.

• Topical chemotherapy: Topical chemotherapy involves applying a cream or lotion containing anti-cancer drugs to the skin. This treatment is most effective for low-risk tumors.

• Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy drugs such as cemiplimab (Libtayo) or pembrolizumab (Keytruda) might be used for advanced squamous cell cancers that can’t be cured with surgery or radiation therapy. However, these drugs haven’t been studied in people with weakened immune systems, such as people who take medicines for autoimmune diseases or who have had an organ transplant, so the balance between benefits and risks for these people isn’t clear[[4]](https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/...