Mohs Surgery for Basal Cell Carcinoma on the nose

When Korene noticed a small scabby spot on the side of her nose was not healing, she made an appointment with her dermatologist. Her dermatologist took a biopsy which showed basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Basal skin cancers are the most common and result from abnormal, uncontrolled growth of basal cells. It grows slowly and rarely spreads, but they can become dangerously deep and wide.
Because this BCC was on her face, Korene's dermatologist recommended Mohs surgery by Dr. Ryan Thorpe.
Mohs surgery is a is microscopically controlled surgery used to treat both common and rare types of skin cancer in cosmetically challenging locations. During the surgery, after each removal of tissue and while the patient waits, the tissue is examined for cancer cells.
The Mohs process examines 100 percent of the tissue margins under the microscope, whereas in standard surgical excision only 1 percent of the margins are examined microscopically. Mohs surgery also conserves the greatest amount of healthy tissue, giving you the smallest scar possible.
Having had BCC on her chest previously, Korene knew it needed to be removed, but was only expecting "maybe a couple of stitches," she explains. Unfortunately, the cancer had grown deeper and wider. "It's a waiting game. They take a slice and check it out, come back and do it again. And unfortunately I had to do it several times," says Korene. "But you wouldn't know it by looking at me at this point."