Why Does My Cancer Need Mohs Surgery?

Mohs surgery offers the highest cure rate among treatments for skin cancer and can be used for practically any skin cancer type. There are many other acceptable skin cancer treatment options including freezing (cryosurgery), scraping & burning (curettage and electrodessication), surgical removal (excision), and laser surgery. All these procedures require the provider to estimate how big the cancer is and then perform removal or destruction of an additional standard wider margin of healthy appearing skin around the tumor. The numerous advantages of Mohs surgery compared to other skin cancer treatments include its high cure rate and cost-effectiveness. It is especially appropriate for skin cancers that:

– Develop on areas where preserving cosmetic appearance and function are important

– Have recurred after previous treatment or are likely to recur

– Are located in scar tissue

– Are large

– Have edges that are ill-defined

– Grow rapidly