Healthcare Professionals

This information is presented for prospective members and other healthcare professionals who desire additional information regarding Mohs surgery as a highly effective treatment for skin cancer and other cutaneous malignancies. It also outlines the various programs and services of the American Society for Mohs Surgery.

About Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is widely recommended for the treatment of certain basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, as well as other less frequently diagnosed skin malignancies. Tumor characteristics such as size, location, margin definition, risk of recurrence, and anatomic location are factors to be considered in the selection of Mohs surgery as the optimal treatment modality.

During the procedure, the Mohs surgeon removes the known tumor, including a small area of surrounding normal tissue. A map is drawn, showing orientation of the excised tissue relative to the location on the patient. While the patient waits, the Mohs technician processes the tissue specimen using a horizontal sectioning method, and prepares microscope slides for examination by the physician. The Mohs surgeon also acts as the pathologist in interpreting the deep and peripheral margins of the excised tumor, using the map as a reference. If additional areas of tumor are seen, the process is repeated until no further tumor involvement is noted in any of the margins. Because of the methodical manner in which the tissue is removed and examined in Mohs surgery, the cure rate is as high as 99 percent for certain skin cancers.

About the American Society for Mohs Surgery

The American Society for Mohs Surgery is a non-profit professional medical society with a total membership of nearly 1000 dermatologists, pathologists, and Mohs technicians. Founded in 1990, the ASMS is dedicated to the highest quality of patient care and education relative to Mohs surgery as a specialized surgical treatment for skin cancer.

The purposes of this organization are as follows:

• Promotion of the highest standards of patient care relating to Mohs surgery for the surgical removal of skin cancer and other appropriate malignancies
• Establishment of a program dedicated to quality assurance and regular peer review of Mohs surgeon members
• Establishment of a forum for the exchange of ideas and methodology for Mohs surgery and related basic sciences
• Promotion of the professional education of its members and the medical community in the principles and practice of Mohs surgery
• Encouragement of research into all methods of microscopically controlled removal of malignant tissue

Development of information for public education related to Mohs surgery.