Mohs surgery is most often used for the treatment of the most common skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This surgery has also been used for melanoma and other unusual skin cancers. Mohs surgery has proven to be successful for cancers that have a high risk of recurrence, have borders that are hard to define, and are large or aggressive. Mohs surgery is most often performed in areas where you want to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible and allow for the least amount of scarring. Most commonly, the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hairline, hands, feet, and genitals.
Clinical studies have shown that Mohs micrographic surgery has a five-year cure rate up to 99 percent in the treatment of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.
Besides its high cure rate, Mohs surgery has been shown to be cost-effective. In a study of costs of various types of skin cancer removal, the Mohs process was found to be comparable to the cost of other procedures, such as electrodesiccation and curettage, cryosurgery, excision, or radiation therapy. Mohs surgery preserves the maximum amount of normal skin, which results in smaller scars. Repairs are more often simple and involve fewer complicated reconstructive procedures.