title: A retrospective study of outcome of Mohs' micrographic surgery for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma using formalin fixed sections.
abstract: The surgical management of recurrent or large squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) can be challenging as tumours often extend beyond visible margins. Micrographic surgery is a potentially effective method of ensuring complete clearance of tumour. A retrospective study of all cases of SCC treated by micrographic surgery in this department between 1986 and 1996 has been done. Sixty-one patients were treated using a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue technique with a median follow-up of 4 years. In two cases there was local recurrence and in three others metastasis to local lymph nodes. The overall cure rate was 92% (56 of 61), which compares favourably with published series using chemosurgery and frozen tissue techniques. The results show that this technique of micrographic surgery is a satisfactory and cost-effective alternative to conventional frozen section techniques in the treatment of SCC. The formalin-fixed tissue method has the advantage of providing high-quality permanent histological sections using existing conventional pathology services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Pathology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Malcolm
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Dahl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde