Mohs surgery is an innovative skin cancer treatment technique that utilizes specialized excision and frozen section processing to precisely remove tumor while sparing healthy tissue. It has the highest skin cancer clearance rates and is useful for many basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and certain melanomas. Standard surgical excision and radiation therapy are also treatment options for skin cancer, with radiation using superficial X-rays to destroy cancer without scarring. Regular skin self-examinations and seeking medical attention for irregular growths can help prevent and detect skin cancer early.

1. Mohs Surgery Brings
Innovation to Cancer Care
Know & Go Friday
Burt Steffes, MD
Agnesian HealthCare Dermatology
& Skin Care Services

2. Our Team
Robert Schuster, MD Burt Steffes, MD Michael Tjoelker, MD

3. What Is Skin Cancer?
• Skin cancer comes in all forms
• Most common types include:
– Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
– Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
– Melanoma
• One in every six people will develop a skin
cancer during their lifetime

4. How Do I Know If
I Have Skin Cancer?
• Common signs include rapid growth, bleeding
easily and non-healing
• Changes in size, shape and color

5. What Does BCC Look Like?

6. What Does SCC Look Like?

7. What Does Melanoma Look Like?

8. Skin Cancer Treatment
• Curettage and desiccation
• Topical chemotherapy
• Standard surgical excision
• Mohs micrographic surgery
• Radiation therapy

9. Curettage and Desiccation
• Utilizes a curett to “scrape” skin cancer cells
away
• Appropriate for certain BCCs and low risk SCC

10. Standard Surgical Excision
• A margin is drawn around
visible tumor and then
excised.
• Standard pathology
technique is then used to
check margins.
• Appropriate for melanoma,
BCC and many SCCs.

11. Radiation Therapy
• Uses superficial X-rays to destroy skin cancer.
Can health without a scar.
• Used for very large BCC and SCC that are not
good candidates for surgery, or to decrease
the risk of metastasis.

12. Mohs Micrographic Surgery
• Precise, tissue sparing technique utilizing
specialized excision and frozen section
processing to clear tumor.
• Highest skin cancer clearance rates and
useful for most BCC, SCC and certain
melanoma.

13. Mohs Surgery

14. Mohs Surgery

23. What Can I Do To
Prevent Skin Cancer?
• Protect yourself from harmful UV radiation
– Clothing
– Avoidance
– Broad spectrum sunscreen
• Zinc-based sunscreens are
superior to chemical-based
sunscreens

24. What Should I Do?
• Perform regular skin self examinations
• Seek medical attention from a dermatologist
if you notice irregular growths

25. Radiation Therapy
for Skin Cancer
Michael J. Vander Kooy, MD
Radiation Oncologist
Agnesian Cancer Center

26. Agnesian Cancer Center

27. Our Team
Michael Jones, MD Timothy Korytko, MD Joel Lundberg, MD Michael Vander Kooy, MD

28. Linear Accelerator

30. Electron Block

31. 5/22/2012

32. 5/22/2012

35. 7/17/2012

36. 8/9/2012

38. We Like to Have FUN!

41. Thank You!
Questions?