Is Mohs surgery suitable for melanomas?

Mohs surgery is not routinely used for melanomas, because these cancers behave differently from other types of skin cancer. Melanoma cells can spread deeper into the skin and sometimes beyond the visible margins of the tumour, making them harder to assess using the laboratory techniques typically used during Mohs surgery.

Instead, melanomas are usually treated with a standard surgical excision, where the tumour and a wider margin of surrounding normal skin are removed and examined by pathologists. This ensures that any microscopic melanoma cells are detected accurately. Your dermatologist will recommend the safest and most effective treatment based on your diagnosis.