Dermatologist available to discuss Mohs surgery

The White House recently announced that during a routine skin cancer screening, a small lesion was found under first lady Jill Biden’s eye. The first lady will undergo Mohs micrographic surgery, also called Mohs surgery, next week to remove the skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, which is estimated to affect 1 in 5 Americans in their lifetime. The White House’s announcement underscores the importance of skin cancer screenings as the earlier a skin cancer is diagnosed, the more effectively it can be treated.

Mohs surgery, the surgical removal of skin cancer from a person’s skin, has two specific advantages: 

1. It has a high cure rate.
2. It allows the patient to keep as much healthy skin as possible because the surgeon only removes the skin with cancer cells. This is especially important when skin cancer develops in an area with little tissue beneath (e.g., eyelid, ear, or hand).

Board-certified dermatologist Ali Hendi, MD, FAAD, clinical assistant professor at Georgetown University, is available to discuss the following:

• What is skin cancer?
• What causes skin cancer?
• How can skin cancer be prevented?
• Why is early detection of skin cancer important?
• What is Mohs surgery?

Please let me know if you would like to interview Dr. Hendi about this important public health topic.

Here is more information on Mohs surgery, including an infographic that shows how Mohs surgery is performed.