Mohs' micrographic surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers

Abstract

The incidence of NMSC is increasing at a phenomenal rate, with a current estimated annual incidence in the United States of more than 600,000 cases. It is vitally important for all surgeons to become familiar with all modalities, surgical as well as nonsurgical, that are used to treat these skin cancers. This article was designed to inform the reader about the surgical technique called MMS (Figs. 9 and 10), and to present the facts regarding its historical evolution, actual technique, indications, and limitations. MMS has been modified and refined over a period spanning 60 years. During this time, tens of thousands of tumors have been treated, and the literature supports the fact that MMS provides the highest possible cure rates for the treatment of NMSCs.