For Skin Cancer Treatment Mohs surgery provides precision and a high cure rate.
I use a variety of techniques to treat skin cancer. The location of the lesion helps to determine the treatment. When the tumor is on the face, neck or hands, Mohs surgery is often advised because of the precision of removal and the very high cure rate. Depending on the tumor’s characteristics or size, Mohs may be used on other areas of the body.
The patient pictured above has a basal cell skin cancer on her ear. During Mohs surgery, the tumor is removed, and then more thin tissue samples are also removed and examined under a microscope until no more cancerous cells are found. Healthy skin is preserved with Mohs. Mohs micrographic surgery is named after the doctor who invented the method, Frederic E. Mohs, M.D.
I frequently treat common skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma with Mohs surgery. Some other cancers on which Mohs is used include aggressive subtypes like sclerosing or infiltrating basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, sweat gland carcinomas, lentigo maligna, and several other biopsy-proven cutaneous malignancies.
Most insurance plans, including Medicare, cover Mohs surgery. Learn more about Mohs surgery.
Another skin cancer treatment is curettage and electrodesiccation, where the abnormal cells are removed, and the surrounding area is scraped with a surgical instrument. Then, the remaining skin is cauterized with an electrical current. This technique is used on small skin cancers in areas of the body where a scar would not be noticeable.
An additional destructive method is cryosurgery: freezing the cancerous lesion with liquid nitrogen. Both curettage and cryosurgery have a lower cure rate than Mohs surgery.
Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in the U.S.
You have a one in five chance of developing skin cancer in your lifetime. Learn more about what signs and symptoms to look for.
Make notes of your spots so you can track changes. A board certified dermatologist should evaluate any worrisome skin lesions during a skin cancer screening.
More information on checking your skin can be found on the American Academy of Dermatology’s website.
How Often Should You Have a Skin Exam?
If you don’t have a history of skin cancer, a yearly full-body screening by a board certified dermatologist is recommended. However, if you’ve had cancerous spots removed in the past, your dermatologist will determine your schedule for rechecks, which might be more frequent.
See A Trusted Dermatologist
Dr. Cynthia Golomb is widely considered one of the top dermatologists in Hallandale Beach. She welcomes patients for skin cancer treatment from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, North Miami Beach, Golden Beach, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, Fl. Dr. Golomb is triple board certified in Dermatology, Dermatopathology and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (Mohs). Call our office today to book an appointment.
