When is Mohs Microscopic Surgery Indicated?
Although the concept of Mohs micrographic surgery was developed over 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 sensitive areas, because it can eliminate all the cancer 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 cells are microscopic and any cells left behind can cause the tumor to reappear. The tumor may spread beyond its obvious external margins, with “nests” of cell growing in unpredictable areas. With the Mohs technique, all tumor nests can be ide
