A skin cancer diagnosis is unnerving, yet it is the most common type of cancer humans face. Skin cancer is more common than breast, brain, and kidney cancer combined. In America, 20% of people will face a skin cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, most often basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. While the word “cancer” is a daunting one, most skin cancers are treated with relative ease and there is a “cure” for skin cancer. At ZENA Medical, we know dealing with skin cancer is unpleasant. That’s why it’s our mission to get our patients through the treatment with the best possible care and compassion.
Mohs micrographic surgery is a specialized technique to remove skin cancer using the microscope to clear the margin and remove all the tumor cells. It has become one of the most complete skin cancer treatments available because it yields success rates of up to 99%. Mohs is the preferred procedure to treat places where skin cancers are highly visible and cosmetically important, such as areas of the face, hands, feet, or genitalia.
Once the local anesthetic has numbed the area, your physician will use a scalpel to remove the visible area of cancer and a small margin of cells around it. Then, while the patient waits, the tissue is analyzed under a microscope to determine if there are more cancerous cells to be excised. If there are, another excision is made of the tissues, and again analyzed by microscope. This process is repeated until all the cancer cells have been removed. Because of the precise nature of the microscopic analysis, Mohs surgery leads to the highest amount of healthy tissue being preserved while all the cancer cells are removed. This is why Mohs micrographic surgery has such a high success rate and a better cosmetic outcome. The technique is so thorough, there will be no cancerous cells left behind, and the smallest possible excision is made.
You should attend annual skin checks to screen for skin cancer. If you have moles or skin irregularities that have grown quickly, have ill defined borders, concerning dark colors, or you’ve had a recurrence of a previous lesion on your skin, you need a biopsy to determine if you have skin cancer. Mohs surgery may be exactly what you need to ensure your cancer is completely removed. Patients with skin cancer on the face are prime candidates for Mohs surgery as it preserves the most tissue and can leave behind the least visible scarring.
