Mohs surgery, also known as
chemosurgery, developed in 1938 by a
general surgeon,
Frederic E. Mohs, is microscopically controlled surgery used to treat common types of
skin cancer. During the surgery, after each removal of tissue and while the patient waits, the tissue is examined for cancer cells. That examination informs the decision for additional tissue removal. Mohs surgery is one of the many methods of obtaining complete margin control during removal of a skin cancer (
CCPDMAcomplete circumferential peripheral and deep margin assessment.) using
frozen section histology.
CCPDMA or Mohs surgery allows for the removal of a skin cancer with very narrow
surgical margin and a high cure rate.