Mohs Surgery Offers High Cure Rates Through Precise, Team-Based Skin Cancer Care

Amit Om, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon practicing in Charlotte, North Carolina, discussed the fundamentals of Mohs surgery and the importance of helping clinicians understand the procedure so they can better prepare patients undergoing treatment.

Mohs micrographic surgery is a specialized, tissue-sparing technique used to treat certain skin cancers. The procedure allows the surgeon to remove cancerous tissue in stages and microscopically examine the margins, repeating the process until no additional cancer cells are detected.¹

Om said education surrounding Mohs surgery should give clinicians a practical understanding of the procedure, its effectiveness, and how that information can be communicated to patients.

Mohs Surgery Basics and Cure Rates

According to Om, education on Mohs surgery should focus on 3 key areas: what the procedure is, how it is performed, and its cure rates.

“I think it's good to share the fact that it's a specialized form of skin cancer removal used in certain patients at certain sites,” Om said.

He noted that a brief demonstration of the procedure can also help clinicians explain what patients should expect when they are referred for Mohs surgery and potentially reduce anxiety surrounding treatment.

Mohs surgery offers high cure rates for common nonmelanoma skin cancers while allowing clinicians to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible.¹ Cure rates can approach 99% for previously untreated skin cancers, although rates vary based on factors including cancer type and whether the tumor is primary or recurrent.²

“Mohs is 99% effective for nonmelanoma skin cancer,” Om said.

He added that understanding the effectiveness of the procedure can help referring clinicians reassure patients about their treatment.

“Patients and providers should all be assured that when their patients do get Mohs, that's the best way to treat these type of skin cancers,” Om said.

Learning Through Collaboration

Beyond the procedure itself, Om emphasized the value of collaboration and shared learning among dermatology professionals.

He said attending educational meetings allows him not only to present his own clinical knowledge but also to learn from other speakers and attendees. Questions and conversations at meetings can offer new perspectives that influence how clinicians communicate information once they return to practice.

“I've already found value in learning from other speakers,” Om said. “It gets me to think about things in a certain way, and also helps reframe how I deliver that knowledge to my patients and my peers when I go back.”

Team-Based Dermatologic Care

Om described dermatologic care as a collaborative effort involving Mohs surgeons, general dermatologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other members of the care team.

“Medicine in general is a team sport, so we all, again, work together to try to achieve the same thing,” Om said.

He noted that the exchange of clinical knowledge works in multiple directions, with physicians, PAs, and NPs learning from one another and bringing different experiences to patient care.

“We all try to have a good time while we're doing it, but also, you know, take the best care of our patients that we can,” Om said.

Ultimately, he said, collaboration across dermatology specialties and professional roles centers on a common goal.

“We're all trying to achieve the same thing, which is maximize dermatologic care for our patients,” Om said.

References

1. Prickett KA, Ramsey ML. Mohs micrographic surgery. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2026. Accessed September 14, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441833/
2. Skin Cancer Foundation. Mohs surgery for the newly diagnosed: what you need to know. Accessed September 14, 2026. https://www.skincancer.org/blog/mohs-surgery-for-the-newly-diagnosed-what-you-need-to-know/