Atypical Fibroxanthoma vs Squamous Cell Carcinoma
How to tell the difference — key features compared side by side.
Feature
Atypical Fibroxanthoma
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Category
Pre-cancerous
Malignant
Key feature
Low-grade tumor on severely sun-damaged skin. Typically the scalp of elderly men. Excellent prognosis with excision.
Second most common skin cancer. More aggressive than BCC - can spread to lymph nodes if not treated early.
Risk factors
Severe chronic sun damage; Age over 70; Fair skin
Cumulative lifetime sun exposure (more important than acute burns for SCC); Fair skin (Fitzpatrick types I-III); History of actinic keratosis - the primary precursor lesion
Action needed
A rapidly growing pink or red nodule on sun-damaged head or neck skin
A firm, red nodule on sun-exposed skin that persists or grows
Atypical Fibroxanthoma
Atypical fibroxanthoma is a low-grade dermal tumor on severely sun-damaged skin, most commonly the head and neck of elderly patients.
Read full guide →Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin develops in the flat squamous cells that form the outer layer of the epidermis. It is the second most common skin cancer after BCC, with over one million cases diagnosed annually in the US.
Read full guide →Does yours look more like atypical fibroxanthoma?
Quick self-check
Does this look like atypical fibroxanthoma? Answer 2 questions.
Is it a rapidly growing dome on the head or scalp?
Is surrounding skin severely sun-damaged?
Still not sure?
Our full ABCDE checker evaluates 5 clinical criteria dermatologists use.
Full ABCDE check →