When it comes to skin cancer, a healthcare team’s first thought is to remove the cancer and limit or eliminate its chances of regrowth. But with cancers found on the head and neck, appearance matters too. These areas tend to be more visible, and the skin can be more sensitive due to not having the same depth as in other parts of the body.
Mohs surgery aims to address this dilemma. In this type of surgery, just enough skin is cut away so that all cancerous tissue is removed and no more. Mohs surgery removes skin in and around the growth, with each layer examined for the presence of cancer cells while the patient waits. If cancer cells are present, another small amount of skin is removed. Skin removal stops when cancer no longer is detected.
The precision of skin removal and near certainty that all cancer cells have been removed make Mohs surgery the go-to procedure for many types of skin cancer occurring in areas where skin preservation is a must.
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