Appropriately named after the doctor who invented this technique, Dr. Frederick Mohs, Mohs cancer surgery is now considered the gold standard for skin cancer treatment. It is a precise and effective treatment for most skin cancers with melanoma being an exception. Let’s analyze skin cancer Mohs surgery vs traditional excision.
How Mohs Surgery Is Different
Compared to traditional excision surgery for skin cancer, Mohs surgery confirms that all cancer cells are removed at the time of surgery. This increases the likelihood of a cure and reduces the need for additional treatments or another surgery.
Mohs surgery has a 99% cure rate for first time cancers, and a 94% cure rate for any recurrent cases.
This surgery is performed in stages and in only one visit. The surgeon removes a layer of tissue and immediately examines 100% of the margins under a microscope. If more cancer cells exist, your Mohs surgeon repeats the process until there are no more cancer cells.
In a traditional excision, the skin cancer is excised with a predetermined margin, that is larger than a Mohs margin, and the area is immediately repaired. The tissue is then sent to an outside lab and processed over several days to see if the margins are clear. If they are not clear, then the patient has to return to have the stitches removed, more tissue taken, and then it is re-repaired. This can result in more scarring and less convenience than Mohs surgery.
Advantages of Mohs Surgery
If you have the option of Mohs surgery vs traditional excision, you may want to consider the following advantages of Mohs:
- There are lower recurrence rates when the Mohs technique is used.
- Mohs offers precise microscopic control of the entire tumor margins.
- Mohs maximizes healthy tissue conservation.
- It has the highest cure rate for non-melanoma skin cancers.
- It is more cost effective due to the higher cure rates and low recurrence rates.
- There is reduced scarring with a smaller incision, and it has a better cosmetic result.
Contact Uderm at (423) 206-2777 if you want to discuss your options for skin cancer treatment in Ooltewah or Hixson and whether Mohs surgery is right for you. You can alternatively schedule an appointment through our convenient online tool.