Time to recurrence was longest following Mohs surgery, but tumor site should inform choice of treatment strategy.
Controlled trials assessing recurrence rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are few and far between. In this prospective cohort study conducted at a Veterans Affairs hospital, 495 patients with 611 primary NMSCs treated over a 2-year period with electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C), excision, or Mohs surgery were followed for a median of 6.6 years. The chart review data was validated by examination of a subset of patients, and similar recurrence data were found.
Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) made up 87% of the tumors treated by ED&C, 66% of tumors treated by excision, and 75% of tumors treated by Mohs. A much higher percentage of the tumors treated by ED&C were located on the trunk and extremities (64%) compared with those treated by ex…