Invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma resulting in arm amputation. Case discussion and literature review

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Specifically incidence of non-melanoma malignancy in the UK has increased by 56% in the last decade. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer that if caught early can be successfully treated. Conservative excision surgery is the most common treatment modality with high cure rates even if tumours are advanced. Radical surgery is rarely required, and amputations, especially when the distal part of the upper extremity is involved, are very uncommon. Here, we describe a case of an invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the elbow that required trans-humeral arm amputation.