21 Aug How Mohs Surgery Reduces the Risk of Recurrence
Skin cancer can often be successfully treated when identified early. However, there’s a risk of it returning if all cancerous cells aren’t properly removed during treatment. For individuals with common skin cancers and some rare types, Mohs surgery has become a frequently used procedure. Here is more information on how this procedure works and why it is effective in targeting cancerous cells:
Understanding Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgery is designed to focus on accuracy during cancer removal. It is typically performed under local anesthesia and is carried out in stages. During the procedure, a surgeon removes a thin layer of skin from the affected area and immediately examines it under a microscope. They will then identify whether any cancerous cells remain.
If cancerous cells are found at the edges of the sample, this process is repeated, removing only the tissue where cancer persists. This step-by-step approach targets the affected tissue as precisely as possible, leaving healthy skin intact. By removing even the smallest traces of cancer while preserving non-affected tissue, this procedure significantly minimizes recurrence.
Prioritizing Tissue Preservation
One key feature of Mohs surgery is its ability to achieve high precision. Other procedures often remove a wider margin of tissue to account for potential cancer spread, which may result in the removal of healthy skin unnecessarily. This helps reduce the need for extensive reconstruction.
With this procedure, microscopic analysis occurs on-site during the procedure, allowing the surgeon to map out the exact location of cancerous cells. By tailoring each layer of removal to match the mapped-out tumor, Mohs avoids the need for overly broad resections. This approach not only optimizes preservation of healthy tissue but also achieves a high cure rate for certain forms of skin cancer, particularly BCC and SCC.
Utilizing Real-Time Mapping
Another advantage of Mohs surgery lies in its unique ability to track and remove cancer cells in real-time. The mapping technique used makes certain that no cancer cells are missed during the procedure, as tissue is re-examined after each layer is removed. This precise approach helps preserve as much healthy tissue as possible. This makes it especially beneficial for delicate areas such as the face, hands, or other cosmetically sensitive regions.
Since the surgeon can verify the complete removal of all cancerous tissue during the surgery, patients benefit from immediate confirmation that the affected area is clear. This accuracy greatly reduces the likelihood of requiring additional treatments later. It also eliminates the risk of discovering that the cancer has reappeared in the same location. This surgery’s high success rate, combined with its tissue-sparing methodology, has made it the gold standard for treating certain types of skin cancer.
Learn More About Mohs Surgery
There are several reasons Mohs surgery has become a trusted method for minimizing recurrence. Its focus on precision eliminates only the necessary tissue while preserving nearby structures. This real-time evaluation reduces the chance of missed cancer and enables complete cancer removal in one procedure. For individuals seeking a procedure known for its long-term effectiveness, this surgery provides a reliable solution.