title: 5-year recurrence rates of Mohs micrographic surgery for aggressive and recurrent facial basal cell carcinoma.
abstract: Mohs micrographic surgery allows for complete microscopic examination of the surgical margin when treating aggressive and recurrent facial basal cell carcinomas. This leads to the highest cure rates and maximal preservation of healthy tissue. The 5-year recurrence rates of 587 aggressive and/or recurrent facial basal cell carcinomas treated during 1993 to 2003 at our centre were studied retrospectively. The resulting 5-year recurrence rates using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were 2.1% for primary (previously untreated) tumours, 5.2% for recurrent basal cell carcinomas and 3.3% overall. In total, 87.9% of the tumours required at least two stages of Mohs micrographic surgery. The surgical defect's size after complete excision was, on average, approximately twice the size of the defect after excision of the clinically visible tumour with a 2-3 mm margin. Mohs micro-graphic surgery is underused in Scandinavia despite being the treatment of choice for aggressive and recurrent facial basal cell carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. john.paoli@vgregion.se
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daryoni
authors.forename: Ann-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wennberg
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mölne
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gillstedt
authors.forename: Marinko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miocic
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stenquist
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*