What are the Advantages of Mohs Surgery?
Skin Cancer Care Specialists | September 5, 2018
Affecting 3.3 million Americans each year, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are the two most common types of skin cancers in the United States. Luckily, if you suspect you have or if you are diagnosed with either basal or squamous skin cancer, both can usually be treated. Mohs micrographic surgery provides you with many advantages in the treatment of basal and squamous cell skin cancers. Mohs not only has a very high cure rate; the surgery also involves precise excision that has minimal effect on the surrounding healthy skin. Additionally, Mohs can be used to treat cosmetically important areas, such as the face, often with little to no scarring.
Mohs micrographic surgery was created in the early 1930s by Dr. Frederic Mohs, from whom the treatment acquired its name. Dr. Mohs was a Professor of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin where he created the treatment for skin cancer, originally calling the procedure Chemosurgery. Today, when performed by a fellowship trained Mohs surgeon like Dr. Noah Weisberg, Mohs surgery has a very high cure rate for the treatment of basal and squamous cell skin cancers. Statistics show that Mohs has a cure rate of up to 99% for skin cancer that has not been treated before and up to 94% for skin cancer that has recurred after previous treatment.
At Skin Cancer Care Specialists in Jupiter, Florida, Dr. Noah Weisberg performs Mohs as a single-visit, outpatient surgery requiring only a local anesthesia. Mohs surgery includes two main steps. At the beginning of treatment, a thin layer of tissue that is generally only 1-2 mm bigger than the tumor, is surgically removed by Dr. Weisberg. During the second step, the removed tissue is processed and microscopically examined. If any tumor is detected during examination, the tumor location is found, and an additional thin layer of tissue is removed from the area. The microscopic examination is then repeated until no skin cancer tissue is found. This process allows for the removal of the skin cancer while preserving as much of the surrounding healthy tissue as possible.
Mohs surgery is considered the gold standard for the treatment of basal and squamous skin cancers. It can be used to treat even the most cosmetically important areas on your face such as around your eyes, nose and lips with little to no visible scar. Dr. Noah Weisberg is a Fellowship trained Mohs surgeon. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery, and has utilized Mohs surgery to remove over 26,000 skin cancers.
If you are interested in learning more about Mohs surgery and working with Dr. Weisberg, call Skin Cancer Care Specialists today at 561-775-6011.
<<< Previous
