Moh's Surgery or Blue Light to Treat Basal Cell Carcenoma?

Although there are multiple types of treatments for different kinds of skin cancers surgical excision is still the mainstay of treatment for most skin cancers. Being that said every patient is different and it would be very difficult for me to advise you against blue light therapy without knowing the full story. Like I stated, surgery is still the mainstay of therapy but you should discuss other options with your MOHS surgeon.

Mohs micrographic surgery is the treatment of choice for recurrent basal cell carcinoma. According to prior data in the scientific literature, the cure rate for Mohs surgery for a recurrent basal cell carcinoma is approximately 95%, which is much higher than the cure rates with surgical excision, curettage and electrodesiccation, and radiation therapy.

Levulan and blue light would not be a good option for treatment of a recurrent basal cell carcinoma. While this procedure might be a good alternative for selected cases of actinic keratoses, I would recommend Mohs for recurrent basal cell carcinomas as well as basal cell carcinomas on the nose/eyelids/lips/ears and poorly defined basal cell carcinomas and agressive types of basal cell carcinoma (e.g. perineural, infiltrative, sclerosing, metatypical).

Best plan is to meet with your doctor; discuss your options and choose an appropriate treatment. Good luck.