Abstract
Objective:
Mohs micrographic surgery is widely utilized for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers with the advantage of tissue sparing and higher cure rate. The preoperative tumor size and post-Mohs micrographic surgery defect size are useful surrogate measures of nonmelanoma skin cancer morbidity. The authors sought to evaluate whether gender, Hispanic ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sun-safe practices and self-skin exams affected tumor size and Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. They also investigated factors associated with self-skin exams.
Design:
A cross-sectional survey-based study.
Setting:
Two dermatologic surgery clinics—one academic-associated and the other private.
Participants:
Patients receiving Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers.
Measurements:
Tumor size and Mohs defect size and their relationship to patient factors ascertained from a survey, as well as the number of patients performing self-skin exams. The authors used t-tests and analysis of variance to compare tumor and defect sizes for each patient factor. Chi-squared tests were used to determine the factors associated with self-skin exams performance.
Results:
Lower education was associated with greater head and face tumor area (95mm
2
vs. 41mm
2
,
P
=0.019), but not Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. Other studied patient factors were not associated with an increased morbidity. Hispanics performed self-skin exams at a lower rate than non-Hispanics (27% vs. 46%,
p
=0.03).
Conclusion:
This study innovatively uses tumor and Mohs micrographic surgery defect area as a measure of morbidity, allowing for identification of populations at need for improved education and prevention. (
J Clin Aesthet Dermatol.
2016;9(9):16–22.)