title: Controversies in skin surgery: electrodessication and curettage versus excision for low-risk, small, well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C) of low-risk, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) generally consumes less time and resources than excision. Review of the literature reveals few recent studies examining cure rates for ED&C in the treatment of low risk cutaneous SCC.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate via two retrospective studies the efficacy of ED&C in the treatment of low risk cutaneous SCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A small controlled study in a Veterans Administration teaching hospital dermatology clinic compared cure rates of low risk SCC at one year by ED&C to those of surgical excision. A second study examined the cure rate of low risk lesions treated by curettage and electrodesiccation in a private practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first study found no significant difference in cure rates between ED&C (14 of 14 cases successfully treated) and excision (15 of 16 successfully treated and one recurrence) (P = 0.1711). The second study found the ED&C cure rate (106 of 106 successfully treated) to be significantly greater than an arbitrary cure rate of 95 percent (P = 0.0091).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the efficacy of ED&C as a treatment modality for low-risk cutaneous SCC.
authors.affiliation: North Atlanta Dermatology, Duluth, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reschly
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Shenefelt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D003475:Curettage / Q000379:methods*; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*