Treatment Outcomes of Mohs Surgery vs. Imiquimod in Basal Cell Carcinoma

Background : Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is a type of skin cancer, and a growing number of cases are diagnosed each year. There are many treatment options available, however finding the best treatment that has the lowest recurrence rate and morbidity is a challenge. The treatment options vary from topical or systemic medications to special procedures to surgical interventions. Treatment’s effectiveness largely differs on the BCC sub-type and its individual features. Method : Data was collected from the charts of patients that were diagnosed with BCC. The selected patients were treated by either Mosh surgery or Imiquimod. Results : Majority of patients who were diagnosed with BCC had light skin color. Some patients had recurrence of the disease after Imiquimod treatment. However, no patient had any recurrence with Mohs surgery. Conclusion : This study shows that Mohs surgery provides superior treatment outcome than many other options. However, cost of the procedure can be an issue to patients with lower income or lack of proper health insurance.