Mohs Surgery

Cure rates for localised skin cancers treated with Mohs micrographic surgery are higher than for any other type of treatment - approximately 99 per cent for new skin cancers and 95 per cent for difficult recurrent skin cancers.*

Mohs surgery is an advanced treatment procedure for skin cancer. With a high cure rate, Mohs surgery minimises the risk of recurrence and eliminates the additional costs of larger, more serious surgery for recurrent cancers. The Mohs procedure is performed and pathological examinations are immediate. The entire process is usually completed in a single day. The procedure is performed with local anaesthetic.

This procedure is performed by highly trained Specialist Dermatologists. The skin cancer is excised and the tissue specimen is processed immediately onto microscope slides to allow examination of the entire edge and deep part of the specimen. The Specialist Dermatologist then meticulously examines these slides under the microscope. If cancer cells are seen, an additional tissue layer is removed only in areas where

the cancer is still present, thereby preserving as much of the surrounding healthy skin as possible. Once the cancer has been completely removed, the Specialist Dermatologist will repair the wound to minimise scarring and ensure the best possible cosmetic result.

*(1) (2) Source

(1) Rowe DE et al. Long term recurrence rates in previously untreated (primary) basal cell carcinoma - implications for patient follow-up. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1989;15:424-31.

(2) Rowe DE et al. Prognostic factors for local recurrance, metastasis, and survival rates in squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, ear, and lip: implications for the treatment modality selection. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1992;26:976-90.