This clinic is for patients requiring surgical removal of any type of skin cancer. It is staffed by surgeons from Huntsman Cancer Institute, the University of Utah, and the community.

Simple excision

Simple excision is a surgery in which the tumor is cut out, along with a small amount of normal (non-cancerous) skin around the edge of the tumor. The skin is then stitched back together.

Re-excision

In the surgical treatment of melanoma, re-excision is a procedure performed when a skin biopsy confirms the presence of melanoma at a site that has already undergone simple excision. The re-excision removes even more normal-looking skin from the affected site so that the surrounding tissue can be examined to ensure that no cancer cells remain in the skin.

Mohs Surgery

A specialized surgery technique called Mohs surgery has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for certain types of non-melanoma skin cancer. Mohs surgery provides the most precise method for removal of all cancerous tissue, while sparing the greatest amount of healthy tissue. For this reason, Mohs surgery typically results in a significantly smaller surgical defect and less noticeable scarring, as compared to other methods of skin cancer treatment.

Surgery for metastatic melanoma

Once there is evidence that melanoma has spread from the skin to distant organs, the cancer is rarely curable by surgery. Even when only one or two metastases are found by imaging studies (CT or MRI scans), there may be many other areas too small to be detected by these scans. Nevertheless, surgery is sometimes performed to help some patients to live longer or to improve quality of life.

To schedule an appointment call (801) 585-0100 or toll-free 866-275-0243.

Related Information

Diagnostic Procedures

Staging and Prognosis

Additional Treatment Options

Surgery Clinic Staff

Glen Bowen