Mohs micrographic surgery
- What is skin cancer?
- What are basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas?
- What about melanoma?
- How successful is the treatment of skin cancer?
- What is Mohs surgery?
- How do I prepare for the day of surgery?
- What happens the day of surgery?
- What can I expect after the surgery is complete?
- Will I develop more skin cancers?
- Patient questionnaire (PDF file) -
Please print, fill out, sign and bring with you to your surgery appointment.
Dr. Neil Swanson, Dr. Anna Bar
and Dr. Ken K. Lee
What is skin cancer?
Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells at an uncontrolled and unpredictable
rate. The cancer tissue usually grows at the expense of surrounding normal
tissue. In the skin, the most common types of cancer are basal cell
carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The names reflect the
cell within the skin from which the particular type of skin cancer originates.
Malignant melanoma
or a "cancerous mole" is a rarer type of skin cancer that usually appears
as a dark colored spot or bump on your skin and slowly enlarges. In the Mohs
surgery unit, we treat basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas,
malignant melanoma and other unusual skin tumors.