Surgical margin of 9 mm needed to excise 97 percent of melanoma in situ
THURSDAY, Oct. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Mohs micrographic surgery is efficacious for melanoma in situ (MIS) on the trunk and proximal extremities, with a margin of 9 mm needed to excise 97 percent of MIS, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Landon E. Stigall, M.D., from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Shadyside, and colleagues examined the efficacy of Mohs micrographic surgery for MIS of the trunk and proximal extremities. They retrospectively analyzed data for long-term outcomes in 882 cases of MIS.
The researchers identified one local recurrence (0.1 percent). Just 83 percent of MIS were excised with a 6-mm margin. Ninety-seven percent of MIS needed margins of 9 mm, which was statistically equivalent to thin melanomas.
“Mohs micrographic surgery may cure the 17 percent of MIS that exceed traditional excision margins of 5 mm and is a valuable option for these patients,” the authors write. “Surgical margins of at least 0.9 cm should be considered for MIS of the trunk and extremities when total margin evaluation is not used.”
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