Mohs Surgery

Mohs Micrographic Surgery is an advanced treatment process for skin cancer that offers the highest possible cure rate for many skin cancers and simultaneously minimizes the sacrifice of normal tissue. This cutting-edge treatment requires highly specialized physicians that serve as surgeon, pathologist and reconstructive surgeon.

About Mohs Surgery:

Mohs Micrographic Surgery - History
Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) was created by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, in 1936 at the University of Wisconsin, as an 'in situ' way of removing skin cancer. In 1941, Frederick Mohs published his results suing a 'chemosurgery' technique to remove basal cell cancers from 440 patients in which he obtained a 99% cure rate for primary cancers (never before treated) and...

When is Mohs Surgery Used
Mohs Micrographic Surgery is most commonly used to remove non-melanoma skin cancers, like basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, or tumors where specific indications apply. MMS is designed to provide the highest cure rate of any form of skin cancer removal and...

Mohs Surgery - The Procedure
The Mohs Micrographic Surgery procedure relies on a highly specialized and contoled sequence of surgical tumor resection and pathological investigation. Using the presently named 'Fresh Tissue Technique', Mohs surgeons mark the area of clinically recognizable tumor (seen with the naked eye) and freeze...

Mohs Surgery Cure Rates
All information provided above lists the 5-year cure rates using MMS...

Reconstruction
As a patient undergoing Mohs Micrographic surgery, your reconstruction is often performed at the same time as the cancer resection. This process often contributes to the length of the surgical day but allows the entire process to be completed in one sitting...

What Should I Expect
The MMS patient should expect the highest possible cure rate for their cancer of any treatment method offered anywhere in the world. Second, they should expect the sacrifice of the least amount of uninvolved tissue possible. This should translate into the patient receiving treatment of...

Cost Effectiveness
Although no Canadian cost-analysis studies have been conducted, there are a series of American studies published in the past 7 years. It is clear from all studies that Mohs surgery is more costly than purely ablative procedures or office based excisions...

Mohs Surgeons
Physicians that perform Mohs Micrographic Surgery are highly trained in cancer resection, skin pathology and reconstruction. Physicians certified as Mohs surgeons by the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology have already obtained...

Associations of Mohs Surgeons:

Canadian Association of Mohs Surgeons
The Canadian Association of Mohs Surgeons (CAMS) was created in 2005 by the 12 American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery trained practitioners in Canada. The association was created to function as an educational body with a responsibility to inform...

Locating A Mohs Surgeon