How Mohs Surgery Transformed Into a First-Line Treatment of Skin Cancer

Abstract

Mohs surgery is considered ideal treatment for many types of skin cancers. Developed by Dr Frederic Edward Mohs (1910-2002), Mohs surgery allows all surgical margins to be viewed microscopically, ensuring no cancer cells go unremoved, yet it failed to achieve immediate acceptance when first introduced in the 1940s. A catalyst to the widespread acceptance of Mohs surgery occurred with the work of dermatologic colleagues who reported excellent results without using the paste. It suggested the real innovation of Mohs surgery lay in its microscopic control and not the paste, the discontinuation of which removed all the problems associated with its use.