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MODEL RELEASED. Penile skin cancer. Penis of an 81-year-old man suffering from squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common forms of skin cancer. Squamous cells are flat, scale-like cells in the skin. They can become cancerous after prolonged exposure to strong sunlight or to cancer-causing chemicals. Squamous cell carcinoma can be fatal if allowed to spread, but if caught in the early stages the cancerous area can be excised surgically. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy (the use of anti- cancer drugs) may also be necessary. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/DR P. MARAZZI)