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After Treatment for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin
For most people with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin, also known as squamous cell skin cancer, treatment will remove or destroy the cancer. You might be relieved to finish treatment, but you might find it hard not to worry about cancer coming back (recurring). This is a very common concern if you’ve had cancer.
For a small number of people with more advanced squamous cell skin cancer, the cancer might never go away completely. These people might get regular treatments to help keep the cancer in check for as long as possible. Learning to live with cancer that does not go away can be difficult, but many people find ways to manage their health and maintain a good quality of life.
Follow-up care after squamous cell skin cancer
Even if you’ve completed treatment, your doctors will still want to watch you closely. Along with the risk of the cancer returning, people who have had squamous cell skin cancer are also at high risk for developing other skin cancers in different locations, so it’s very important to keep all follow-up appointments.
Your doctor will probably recommend that you examine your own skin at least once a month. This includes looking for any changes where the cancer was treated, as well as looking for any new areas of concern in other places. You can also ask someone close to you to watch for new suspicious areas in places that are hard for you to see.
It’s also very important to protect yourself from getting too much sun, which can increase your risk of new skin cancers.
What’s usually in a survivorship care plan
Talk with your doctor about developing a survivorship care plan for you. This plan can guide your next steps after treatment, including follow-up appointments and ways to stay healthy.
A survivorship plan might include:
- A suggested schedule for follow-up exams and tests
- A timeline for other tests, such as screening for other cancers or monitoring for long-term health effects from your cancer or treatment
- A list of possible late- or long-term side effects from your treatment, including what to watch for and when to contact your doctor
- Suggestions for lowering your risk of getting another skin cancer
- Diet and physical activity suggestions
Typical follow-up schedules after squamous cell skin cancer
Your schedule for follow-up visits will depend on the risk of the squamous cell skin cancer coming back and on other factors.
For people who’ve had squamous cell skin cancers, visits are often every 3 to 6 months for the first few years, followed by longer times between visits if there’s no sign of the cancer coming back. People with higher-risk cancers usually need closer follow-up. Different doctors might recommend different schedules.
What to expect
During your follow-up visits, your doctor will ask about any symptoms you’re having and will examine you for signs of skin cancer.
For people who have had higher risk cancers, such as squamous cell cancers that had reached the lymph nodes, the doctor might also order imaging tests such as MRI or CT scans.
Follow-up is also needed to check for possible side effects of certain treatments. Almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. Some might last for a few weeks or months, but others might last longer. Tell your healthcare team about any symptoms or side effects that bother you so they can help you manage them.
Your follow-up visits are also a good time for you to ask your healthcare team any questions and to discuss any other concerns you might have.
Questions to ask your healthcare team
- What type of follow-up will I need after treatment?
- What side effects should I watch for?
- Should I take special precautions to avoid the sun? What steps can I take to protect myself?
- How will we know if the cancer comes back? What should I watch for?
- What will my options be if the cancer comes back?
- Are my family members at higher risk for skin cancer? What should I tell them to do?
Staying prepared and organized
Even if you’ve completed treatment, it’s very important to stay organized and on top of your health. Keeping your records and health insurance coverage in order makes it easier to manage your follow-up care, future checkups, and any new concerns that might come up.
Keep your health insurance
It’s very important to keep health insurance as a squamous cell skin cancer survivor. Insurance can help cover the cost of follow-up visits, tests, and any care you might need in the future. No one wants to think about their cancer coming back, but it’s best to be prepared.
Save your medical records
At some point, you might see a new doctor who doesn’t know your cancer history. Keep copies of your medical records or have access to them so you can easily share the details of your diagnosis and treatment when needed.
Can I lower my risk of the cancer coming back or getting new skin cancers?
There are steps you can take that might lower your risk of skin cancer coming back or of getting a new skin cancer.
Protect yourself from the sun and watch your skin for changes
People who have had squamous cell skin cancer are at higher risk for developing another skin cancer. Because of this, it’s important to limit your exposure to UV rays from the sun or tanning and to examine your skin every month for signs of possible new skin cancers.
Seeing your doctor regularly for skin exams is also important. Treatment for skin cancers that are found early is more likely to be successful than treatment for those found at a later stage.
Don’t smoke
Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of squamous cell skin cancer, as well as to many other types of cancer. If you smoke and are thinking about quitting, call the American Cancer Society for information and support at 1-800-227-2345.
Adopt other healthy behaviors
Adopting other healthy behaviors such as eating well, being active, and staying at a healthy weight might help as well, but no one knows for sure. However, we do know that these types of changes can have positive effects on your health, including lowering your risk for many other types of cancer, as well as other diseases.
About dietary supplements
So far, no dietary supplements have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of skin cancer progressing or coming back. This includes vitamins, minerals, and herbal products. This doesn’t mean that no supplements will help. But it’s important to know that none have been proven to do so.
Although no dietary supplement has been proven to keep a treated SCC from coming back or spreading, nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, might be used in some people to lower the chance of developing new skin cancers.
In the United States, dietary supplements aren’t regulated like medicines. They don’t have to be proven effective or even safe before being sold, although there are limits on what they’re allowed to claim they can do.
Talk to your healthcare team before taking any type of nutritional supplement. They can help you decide which ones are safe and which ones might be harmful.
If the cancer comes back
If squamous cell skin cancer does come back at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is, what treatments you’ve had before, your overall health, and other factors.
If the cancer comes back just on your skin, options might include surgery, radiation therapy, or other types of local treatments.
If the cancer comes back in another part of the body and can’t be treated with surgery or radiation, immunotherapy is usually the preferred drug treatment if it can be given safely. Other treatments such as targeted therapy or chemotherapy might also be options.
For more general information on dealing with a recurrence, see Understanding Recurrence.
Getting emotional support
It’s normal to feel depressed, anxious, or worried when cancer is a part of your life. Some people are affected more than others, but everyone can benefit from help and support, whether this is from friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors, or others.
Learn more in Life After Cancer.
- Written by
- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
DeSimone JA, Hong AM, Ruiz ES, Jambusaria-Pahlajani A. Recognition and management of high-risk (aggressive) cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/recognition-and-management-of-high-risk-aggressive-cutaneous-squamous-cell-carcinoma on July 2, 2026.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Squamous Cell Skin Cancer. Version 2.2026. Accessed at https://www.nccn.org on July 2, 2026.
Wysong A. Squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin. N Engl J Med. 2023;388:2262-2273.
Xu YG, Aylward JL, Swanson AM, et al. Chapter 67: Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier; 2020.
Last Revised: August 27, 2026
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
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