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Mohs micrographic surgery delays not tied to nonmelanoma skin cancer tumor growth
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There was no significant association between delays of up to 1 year between biopsy and Mohs melanoma surgery and change in tumor size in patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to recently published study results.
Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review to identify 242 patients (mean age, 69.3 years) who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery for biopsy-proven basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) between 2004 and 2006. They calculated time delay between biopsy and surgery, and increase in lesion diameter between biopsy and surgical defect.
The analysis included 283 lesions from 239 patients, including 74 SCCs and 219 BCCs. Primary and recurrent tumors showed no significant difference in major change in diameter (1 cm. vs. 1.1 cm; P = .67). There also was no significant difference in mean change between Mohs micrographic surgery defect in BCCs and SCCs (both 1 cm) or change in diameter of lesions with presentation size of less than 1 cm. vs. lesions 1 cm. or more (1.1 vs. 0.8 cm, P = .11), when adjusted for lesion size at presentation. BCCs had a significantly higher number of Mohs micrographic surgery layers taken compared with SCCs: 1.9 layers vs. 1.5 layers (P = .0022).
There was no significant increasing trend over time, according to linear regression analysis of major diameter change for varying time delays from biopsy to Mohs micrographic surgery.
“Time delays of up to 1 year do not on average correlate with the growth of and thus the post-[Mohs micrographic surgery] defect size,” the researchers concluded. “The lack of total agreement with previous studies and limitation of retrospective investigations into time delay and [nonmelanoma skin cancer] progression strongly support the need for prospective studies to determine the true growth rate of these very common skin cancers.” – By Bruce Thiel
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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