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
How successful is the treatment of skin cancer?
Initial treatment of skin cancers has a success rate greater than 90 percent.
Methods commonly employed to treat skin cancer include excision (surgical
removal and stitching); curettage and electrodesication (scraping and
burning with an electric needle); cryosurgery (freezing); and radiation
therapy ("deep x-ray"). The method chosen depends upon several
factors, such as the microscopic type of tumor, the location and size
of the cancer and previous therapy. You may have had one or more of these
methods of treatment before coming for Mohs surgery. If a skin cancer previously treated by one of the above techniques recurs (comes back), retreating using these methods has a success rate of less than 75 percent. The success rate for Mohs surgery, even in treating recurrent lesions, is about 97-98 percent. Mohs surgery (discussed in detail later) is very time consuming and requires a highly trained team of medical personnel. The vast majority of Mohs surgeons are dermatologists who have had extensive fellowship training after completing their dermatology training. At OHSU all Mohs surgeons are fellowship trained and members of the American College of Mohs Microsurgery and Cutaneous Oncology. Many skin cancers that are easily and effectively treated by the other methods listed previously do not require Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is reserved for recurrent skin cancers or for primary skin cancers that are difficult to treat initially with other therapies.