Squamous cell carcinoma is a form of skin cancer that developed in the middle and outer layers of the skin, in squamous cells. This form of cancer is nonlife-threatening but can be very aggressive. If left untreated it can spread to other parts of the body or grow large causing serious complications. These cells can be found all over your body so this can happen anywhere. The most common places affected by this are your scalp, ear, lips, and the back of your hands, Most basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers are caused by repeated and unprotected skin exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight, as well as from man-made sources such as tanning beds (The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team). 

Collagen is a high abundant protein that is present all through the body where it helps maintain the shape of tissues and organs. Type III collagen is a fibrillar collagen. It is found as a major structural component in hollow organs such as large blood vessels, uterus and bowel  (Kuivaniemi and Tromp). Other functions of type III collagen include interaction with platelets in the blood clotting cascade and it is also an important signaling molecule in would healing  (Kuivaniemi and Tromp). This protein is to ensure the structure, strength and support  your organs and arteries. It is also used in early stages of the wound healing process. It makes up between 5-20% of the entire collage in a human body. Many things can reduce your collagen production; smoking, eating refine carbohydrates and too much sugar, or exposure to UV light. Mutations associated with collagen type III are arterial and aortic aneurysms, Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and vascular deficiency.

Collagen can promote can promote cell growth. Very high levels of collagen can cause a response to trigger in your body that could lead to cancer or tumors in your body. Collagen type III has been associate with breast cancer, Pancreatic cancer, squamous cell cancer, and colorectal cancer. Breast cancer is cancer that forms in you breast cells while it is common for women, men can also have it. Pancreatic cancer is cancer that begins to affects your pancreas which in the lower part of your stomach. Squamous cell cancer is  a type of skin cancer caused by an overproduction of squamous cells in your epidermis, the top layer of your skin (“Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment”). Colorectal cancer is a cancer that forms in the lower end of the digestive track, in your colon or rectum. Collagen affects the T cells ability to fight the cancerous cells because it controls their migrating movements into the cancer cell. For this is it required in the cell because it can also help keep tumors dormant. 

The changes that can be seen in EMC in dormant tumor cells and proliferative tumor cells is that dormant tumor cells have the most type III collagen, they’re derived of ECM protein. Dormant cells are enriched with type III collagens. A higher degree of linear orientation can be seen during cancer cell reactivation. A low degree of of linear orientation can be seen when the collage fibers are dormant around the cell. Collagen is enriched in dormant nodules in comparison to proliferative tumors. Type III collagen is key ECM protein it is required to help induce and sustain dormant in vivo. 

Cell Cycling changes in single cells and metastatic tumor are very different from each other.  The single cell cycle consist of four phases; the first phase a cell grows and prepares for replication; the second phase replication is completed; the third phase the cell prepares for segregation and the replicated genome; the fourth and final stage the cell divides. The phases in order are named; G1, S, G2, and M. In the metastatic cell cycle, cancerous cells enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system and use that passage way as a way to travel to a new location in the body. Once in the new location they began to divide and create a foundation for new secondary tumor cells. Metastatic cells only have two phases interphase and mitotic phase. During interphase the cell grows and begins to replicate. Finally in the mitotic phase, the cytoplasmic contents separates and the cell divides. 

Type III collage effects tumor size when using the proliferative T-HEp3 cell by decreasing tumor size. There was a study done that test this in mice and it found that nude mice inject with type III collagen into their T-HEp3 cells were seen with slower growth in tumors. Staining of both tumors the one that had been injected with type III collagen and the one that hadn’t showed a higher collagen rate of content in type III collagen at the injection site and lower degree of collagen fibers in SHG. In a different mice experiment a bioengineered ball of type III collagen was put into an area where they had removed a tumor. The collagen helped blocked the cancer so that it didn’t return to that area, only 20% of mice had a return of cancer, the control group was 80%.