The very suspicion of skin cancer can be alarming beyond belief. If you have noticed anything abnormal about a mole or growth on your body, do not hesitate to schedule your skin cancer screening with Dr. Behr. A quick visit to our Fresno dermatology office may give you the peace of mind that you need with an “all clear.” If skin cancer is found, there is no better place to be than in the office of a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon.
There are a few concerns related to skin cancer. The first is the damage that the disease itself can cause. Even non-melanoma skin cancers can do quite a bit of harm to healthy tissue, ultimately causing disfigurement. The secondary concern related to skin cancer is whether or not the treatment for growth will prompt the need for reconstructive surgery; and, if the treatment will be successful.
For skin cancer treatment to be highly successful, it will remove the entirety of cancerous cells. It will also facilitate the highest protection from recurrence. To achieve this, we may suggest that skin cancer is removed with the Mohs Micrographic Surgery technique.
Innovative, but not New
The Mohs technique has gained popularity in recent years. However, this surgical process is not new. It was first developed in the 1930s. Dr. Behr received her fellowship training over 20 years ago. Since that time, she has performed thousands of Mohs procedures. Statistics demonstrate a clear advantage to this approach: a 99% success rate!
How it Works
The standard excision of skin cancer can take weeks, and require multiple treatments. This is because the amount of tissue excised is an estimate. The surgeon must also remove a certain amount of healthy tissue to improve efficacy at reaching all of the margins of growth. After removing the entire growth, tissue is sent to a lab for examination. Patients must wait days to hear their results.
Mohs is a process that is completed in one day. After numbing the treatment area, Dr. Behr removes a thin “slice” of tissue. Examination of this tissue occurs immediately, here in the office. A special mapping technique is used to indicate where cancerous cells exist. This guides the process of layer-by-layer removal until the microscopic examination finds no cancer cells.
The Mohs procedure is sophisticated. It takes some time on the day of treatment. It also achieves the highest standard regarding results.
Learn more about Mohs surgery for skin cancer. Call (559) 435-SKIN (7546).
