Mohs surgery (Mohs micrographic surgery) is a treatment for removing high-risk skin cancer. It is quite exact. Your surgeon extracts the tumor in layers, beginning with the visible area and a margin of skin cells surrounding it. The sides and deep edges are next inspected using a microscope. If the skin cancer spreads to the margins, Dr. William T. Long will remove additional tissue in the positive regions and examine the fresh sample under a microscope. This procedure is repeated until all of cancer has been removed.
Areas treatable by Mohs surgery
Although MMS (Mohs micrographic surgery) may be used on any skin location, it is most commonly utilized to treat head or neck basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). It is especially beneficial for skin malignancies in problematic places like the nose, lips, and ears, where removing as little uninvolved tissue as possible is critical. Also, it can reduce scars on the hands and feet. MMS is highly successful in treating recurring cancers (tumors previously removed and have regrown at the same site). However, depending on the individual and tumor kind, Mohs surgery can be used to treat any part of the body.
What is the chance that cancer will recur after Mohs surgery?
After Mohs surgery, your skin cancer has a very low probability of recurring. Cure rates of 96%-99% have been reported. Even after Mohs or other surgery, skin cancer may relapse, or a new carcinoma may develop in the same or neighboring location. Some skin cancers are more severe than others, demanding more therapy and regular monitoring. Skin malignancies typically need extra testing and treatment. Although MMS surgery has the best cure percentage of any treatment, it may need to be accompanied by radiation or another surgery.
Follow-up meetings with your doctor are critical, especially in the first few years following surgery. After a skin cancer diagnosis, you should visit a clinician every four to six months. Also, patients having a history of skin cancer should perform monthly self-examinations of their skin. Any new or changing growth should be evaluated by your doctor every once. More frequent follow-up consultations may be required for people with more aggressive cancers or tumors in high-risk regions.
The difference between Mohs surgery and excision
Excision is a surgical technique in which the skin cancer and a margin of surrounding skin are removed, and the material is submitted to pathology for processing and interpretation. Extensive local excision is generally used on fewer than 1% of the margins. Mohs micrographic surgery involves a reduced margin excision, and the tissue is processed such that your doctor examines 100% of the deep and side (lateral) margins.
It might be frightening to hear the word “cancer” from your doctor. However, if your skin cancer is detected early — before it spreads to other regions — you may be treated in a single day using a precise method known as Mohs micrographic surgery. Your surgeon will remove your tumor layer by layer during Mohs surgery. Each layer is meticulously identified and studied under a microscope to hunt for malignancy. If cancer cells are still present, your specialist will remove and analyze another layer until the malignancy is entirely removed. Call Manhattan Dermatology or book your consultation online to learn more about the Mohs surgery treatment.