Biology and treatment advances in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the second most common skin cancer diagnosed worldwide. CSCC is generally localized and managed with local therapies such as excision and/or radiotherapy. For patients with unresectable or metastatic disease, recent improvements in our understanding of the underlying biology have led to significant advancements in treatment approaches—including the use of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI)—which have resulted in sub-stantial gains in response and survival compared to traditional cytotoxic approaches. However, there is a lack of understanding of the biology underpinning CSCC in immunocompromised pa-tients, in whom the risk of developing CSCC is hund..