What Causes Sunken Cheeks and Can They Be Treated

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What Causes Sunken Cheeks and Can They Be Treated?

Sunken cheek means the skin around your mouth or nose has become wrinkled due to cancerous cells. These cells have spread throughout the body causing tumors. Sometimes these tumors can be found in other parts of the body such as your liver, lungs, bones, brain or even your heart. Cancerous cells may have spread from one part of the body to another. However, they can also occur naturally in the skin.

Cancerous cells may grow in any part of the body. But if they develop into cancerous tumors then it will affect all parts of the body. When a tumor grows out of control, it spreads through the body destroying healthy tissue and organs until it reaches its final destination: your face.

The most common type of cancer that causes sagging cheeks is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC is a form of skin cancer that occurs when abnormal white blood cells called lymphocytes attack normal skin cells. Lymphocytes are immune system cells that normally protect us against infection but sometimes get overzealous and start attacking healthy tissues.

In some cases, lymphocyte attacks can lead to cancers like melanoma (skin cancer) or leukemia (blood cancer). Sunken cheeks are a more common side effect of SCC.

Squamous cell carcinoma is by far the most common type of skin cancer in the US and many other countries around the world.