title: Prospective trial of curettage and cryosurgery in the management of non-facial, superficial, and minimally invasive basal and squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a variation of the curettage and destruction technique, cryosurgery can be used in place of electrodesiccation for the destructive component when managing superficial basal and squamous cell carcinomas. There are few studies, though, demonstrating the long-term cure rate associated with similar methods. This study seeks to determine the long-term cure rate associated with curettage and cryosurgery in the treatment of small, non-facial, superficial basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine patients with 100 non-facial tumors, ≤ 2 cm in diameter, consisting of superficial basal cell carcinoma, superficial nodular basal cell carcinoma with papillary dermal invasion, squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and squamous cell carcinoma with papillary dermal invasion were prospectively treated with curettage and cryotherapy, and subsequently evaluated at 1- and 5-year intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No tumor recurred after one year of follow-up, and one recurrence occurred within the 5-year interval, for a 99% recurrence-free endpoint. Six patients died of unrelated causes after one year, and before five years, and were thus lost to follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curettage and cryosurgery is a simple, highly effective, and reliable treatment method for select, low-risk non-melanoma skin cancers.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Luther-Midelfort, Mayo Health System, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA. peikert.johann@mayo.edu
authors: Johann M
authors: JM
authors: Peikert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003452:Cryosurgery; D003475:Curettage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*