Recent Articles

Extreme heat endangers older adults: What to know and do

Want to cool down? 14 ideas to try

What is a PSA test and how is it used?

Blood sugar–friendly fruits if you have diabetes

Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives

Respiratory health harms often follow flooding: Taking these steps can help

Could tea tree oil help treat acne or athlete’s foot?

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): What to know if you have diabetes or prediabetes or are at risk for these conditions

What could be causing your blurry vision?

Avocado nutrition: Health benefits and easy recipes

What is Mohs surgery?

An effective treatment for basal cell cancers.

Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

cropped photo of the gloved hands of a surgeon using a scalpel to make an incision on the back of a person's hand, preparing to remove a basal cell cancer

Mohs micrographic surgery is often used to remove basal cell cancers. During Mohs surgery the tumor is shaved away in thin layers, one layer at a time. Each layer is checked immediately under a microscope.

This allows the surgeon to preserve as much healthy skin as possible while removing all of the cancer and a thin margin of healthy skin. This surgery is a highly effective treatment for basal cell cancer and often has very good cosmetic results.

Basal cell cancers form in the epidermis, the protective, outermost layer of our skin. The cancerous cells invade surrounding tissues, usually forming a painless pearly bump.

illustration showing how a basal cell carcinoma looks under the skin

Illustration by Michael Linkinhoker

Print This Page

Disclaimer:

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.