Treatment

I e-mailed you on 7/26/06 re my husband's skin cancer being treated with triple antibiotic cream and cortisone cream by the Nevada Department of Corrections.  Your reply was given to the Nevada Department of Corrections wherein you stated the cancer must be removed.  I then received a letter from the Director stating, "He has a Squamous cell lesion of his ear that has been biopsied and found to be non-malignant."  Is this a medically rational statement?  Isn't cancer by its very nature malignant?  What would be a proper form of treatment?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The term "squamous cell" usually refers to a squamous cell carcinoma, which is indeed a cancer.  However, the Director may possibly referring to a benign lesion which has squamous (scaly) features, such as a squamous papilloma.  I suggest you confirm that squamous cell carcinoma is not what the report says.

If the lesion is benign, no treatment is needed, unless the spot is bothersome, etc.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff