Why Mohs Surgery Is the Gold Standard in Skin Cancer Treatment

Skin cancer is the most frequent cancer diagnosis in the United States: Every day, about 9,500 people find out they have it, and at least one in five Americans — 20% of the U.S. population — will develop some form of the disease during their lifetime.

Fortunately, skin cancer is highly curable when it’s detected and treated early.

When you seek advanced skin cancer care at HK Dermatology, our experienced team is likely to recommend Mohs micrographic surgery. This minimally invasive, ultra-precise skin cancer removal method meticulously extracts all malignant cells, one thin layer at a time, sparing as much healthy tissue as possible.

Here’s why Mohs surgery is considered the gold standard treatment for skin cancer.

A closer look at Mohs micrographic surgery

Named for Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, the general surgeon and cancer researcher who in the 1930s originated the high-precision skin cancer removal technique, Mohs micrographic surgery was — and remains — the gold-standard treatment for skin cancer removal.

The Mohs method has two objectives. The first is to methodically and completely remove skin cancer cells. The second is to preserve as much healthy skin tissue as possible.

Mohs surgery is completed in these steps:

Your dermatological surgeon carefully removes the visible part of the cancer tumor, along with a tiny margin of surrounding skin tissue
Next, they examine the marginal skin tissue under a microscope, checking for cancer cells
If there are no cancer cells within the marginal tissue, the process is complete
If there are cancer cells, your surgeon removes and examines another thin margin of skin
The process of removing and examining thin layers of marginal skin tissue continues in stages until no more cancer cells are detected within the margin

Your surgeon marks the marginal skin tissue for reference, so they know exactly where to remove the next margin of skin cells for examination — leaving the healthy tissue adjacent to a cancer-free margin untouched as they meticulously process the treatment area.

Benefits of “gold standard” skin cancer care

Mohs surgery stands in stark contrast to other surgical excision techniques for skin cancer, which attempt to achieve total tumor removal by removing an extra-wide margin of healthy skin along with the malignancy.

Mohs is the gold standard in skin cancer care because it achieves total skin cancer removal with minimal disruption to clear, healthy skin tissue. Let’s take a closer look at its benefits:

Minimally invasive

Mohs is a careful and exacting technique that places as much importance on healthy tissue preservation as it does on total skin cancer removal. Its minimally invasive nature minimizes the risk of disfiguring scars.

Near-total precision

By trimming away paper-thin margins of skin — and examining 100% of the cells within that tissue (only 1% of marginal tissue is examined in standard surgical excision procedures) — the Mohs technique can ensure no skin cancer remains. This is vital when treating tumors with irregular borders or aggressive, microscopic roots that spread inward.

Highest cure rate

Mohs surgery has the highest cure rate of all skin cancer treatments. When used to remove a cancerous lesion that hasn’t yet been treated, Mohs has a cure rate of up to 99%. When used to address cancer that recurred after a previous treatment, Mohs has a cure rate of up to 94%.

Lowest recurrence rate

Mohs micrographic surgery also boasts the lowest rate of recurrence compared to other surgical excision techniques for skin cancer.

Best cosmetic results

Given that the Mohs technique causes minimal disruption to healthy tissues, it’s the best treatment approach for skin cancers in sensitive areas like your face, eyelids, nose, fingers, toes, or genitalia.

Convenient care

While Mohs surgery can take a few hours if you go through several rounds of margin removal and examination, the process is highly efficient. It’s done with the aid of a local anesthetic, lab work is done on-site, and the treatment is completed in a single visit.

Is Mohs micrographic surgery right for you?

With its high cure rate, Mohs surgery is the treatment of choice for high-risk nonmelanoma skin cancers — including basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).

High-risk nonmelanoma cancers include those that occur on the nose, eyelids, lips, ears, hands, feet, and genitals. While nonmelanoma cancers on other areas of the face, scalp, and neck are considered intermediate risk, Mohs surgery may still be recommended for:

A larger malignancy in a lower-risk area
Cancers with borders are hard to see
Cancers that recur following treatment
Cancers that couldn’t be fully removed
Cancers that are growing in scar tissue

Want to learn more about Mohs micrographic surgery? Call or click online to schedule a visit with our skin cancer specialists at HK Dermatology in San Juan Capistrano, California, today.