QuestionDoctor: My dad age 78 has had a nodule for over two years around where his glasses set off the side of the nose. Family doc sent to dermatolgist this week, and a Student doctor took a biopsy, and said if it is cancerous he would need to undergo Moes Microscpic surgury, I feel he may be a risk for surgury and was wandering at his age if he were to do nothing what would happen? Is radiation a consideration? I wouldnt wont him to have alot of negative effects from that though, His past medical history is of a few TIA's and findings were of alot of plaque buildup in aortic arch, and a nearly closed verttibular artery in back of his neck, current treatment is plavix.
AnswerHe is recommending Moh's surgery.... basal cell cancers are very slow growing and almost never spread.... they simply enlarge at the site and can go deeper and cause problems with local spread. Also, they can be disfiguring if they get too big on the face. Moh's is a method where they take some tissue, look at it, take some more, etc so they can be assured of getting it all with a minimum of tissue loss to prevent the disfiguration. It is done under local anesthetic, so there is virtually no risk of anesthesia complications. This is the appropriate treatment.
Radiation is not a consideration.
The only reason I would not recommend Moh's surgery is if he has a life expectancy of a year or less.... if he has a cancer that probably isn't curable, etc. Otherwise, go forward with the removal under local anesthesia... Moh's
