Cutaneous lip tumours treated with Mohs micrographic surgery: clinical features and surgical outcome

BackgroundThe Australian Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) database was initiated in 1993 by the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia (SCFA) with the aim of collecting prospective data, and involved all Mohs surgeons in the country.ObjectivesTo present a large series of patients with cutaneous lip tumours treated with MMS in Australia between 1993 and 2002.MethodsThis prospective multicentre case series included all patients with cutaneous lip tumours who were monitored by the SCFA. The main outcome measures were patient demographics, reason for referral, duration of tumour, site, preoperative tumour size and postoperative defect size, recurrences prior to MMS, histological subtypes, perineural invasion and 5-year recurrence after MMS.ResultsThere were 581 patients (66.1% women and 33.9% men, P ConclusionsBCC was the most common cutaneous lip tumour managed by MMS, and was significantly more common on the upper lip and in women. The low 5-year recurrence rate emphasizes the importance of margin-controlled excision