š§ The Aristocratic CarcinomaĀ š§
A keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma - bemonocled and very grumpy.
A squamous cell carcinoma is a cancer that forms from the cells that form stratified squamous epithelia. These cells are called keratinocytes. Keratinocytes form epithelia in numerous locations in the body. They are most famous for forming the epidermis of your skin, but keratinocytes also line the oral cavity, esophagus, cornea, vagina and anal canal.
These keratinocytes can produce the protein keratin a fibrous protein that, in the skin,Ā forms a layer covering its outermost surface. This keratin is released by keratinocytes as they die at the surface and are shed. The dead keratinocytes are replaced by cell division in the basal layer of cells below. It takes ~28 days for a new keratinocyte in the basal layer to cycle through the epidermis and release its keratin at the surface as it dies This external layer of keratin is very important inĀ protecting the epidermis from the external environment
If the basal cells become cancerous this is called a basal cell carcinoma. If the more mature cells that form the more superficial flat (squamous) layers become cancerous this is known as a squamous cell carcinoma. The cells in an unregulated way and in squamous cell carcinomas of the skin they often produce and release lots of keratin (just as they do under normal circumstances). However, due to the irregular growth and division of these keratinocytes they can often form islands in the tissue and the keratin is released onto the surface of the cells which may not longer be the surface of the skin. In a keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma it is not unusual to see islands of cells with a āpearlsā or āribbonsā of keratin at their coreĀ - just like the ones in this image. Here you can see the stratified layers of keratinocytes forming the outer circumference of the grumpy fella head and his facial features are formed by the fibrous keratin filaments that have been released by these cells.Ā
