When is Mohs Micrographic Surgery Indicated?
Although the concept of Mohs micrographic surgery was developed more than 50 years ago, relatively few dermatologists were trained in its use until recently. Only in the last few years has the technique become widely available throughout the country. Mohs micrographic surgery is now universally recognized as a precise method for treating skin cancers. It is especially effective in cancers of the face and other cosmetically sensitive areas, because it can eliminate virtually all the cancer cells while causing minimal damage to the surrounding normal skin. Mohs micrographic surgery is also ideal for the removal of recurrent skin cancers—tumors that reappear after treatment and can plague a patient repeatedly While skin cancers are easily visible to the patient, individual cancer cellsare microscopic and anycells left behind can cause the tumor to reappear The tumor may spread beyond its obvious external margins, with “nests” of cells growing in unpredictable areas. With the Mohs techniqu
