Mohs micrographic surgery has the highest cure rate for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and is the treatment of choice for locally recurrent skin cancers, offering cure rates of 95 to 97 percent.  Use of any other method to treat local recurrences achieves a cure rate of only 50 to 60 percent.

The technique has several major advantages.  It preserves more normal tissue than any other method while at the same time allowing the surgeon to trace and eradicate areas of tumor that are invisible to the naked eye.  The Mohs surgeon, after examining the tissue under a microscope, knows exactly how far the tumor extends.  As a result, Mohs surgery is particularly suitable for the area around the eyes, and the nose, ears and mouth where the preservation of normal tissue is essential.  Lastly, when other standard methods have been unsuccessful, Mohs surgery offers another chance for cure.