title: Controlling the histological margin for non-melanoma skin cancer conveniently using a double-bladed scalpel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In some countries, intraoperative histological evaluation to control the surgical margin for non-melanoma skin cancer is widely used instead of Mohs micrographic surgery. Nevertheless, this evaluation by frozen section analysis is usually limited to suspicious areas.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of double-bladed scalpel for intraoperative histological margin control for non-melanoma skin cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2005 and 2009, 10 basal cell carcinomas and 5 squamous cell carcinomas were underwent complete histological margin control in which a double-bladed scalpel was used during the surgery at the Hokkaido University Hospital in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of re-excisions required for complete tumor resection was 1.4 times. Nine (60%) of the 15 patients obtained histological clearance of all surgical margins at the first re-excision. The mean size of total surgical margin was 6.1 mm (range: 2-12 mm). The median time from the first tumor excision to reconstruction was 124 min. No local recurrences have been reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method may be used as an alternative for complete histological margin control at many hospitals where it is difficult to perform Mohs micrographic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. saoyagi@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Erina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery