Five-year Recurrence Rate of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Mohs Micrographic Surgery Versus…

Cohort studyThe British journal of dermatology· Sep 2026

Five-year Recurrence Rate of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Mohs Micrographic Surgery Versus Standard Excision: a Prospective Multicentre Cohort Study.

Celeste J Eggermont, Emmy C Crüts, Charlotte B van Lee … Renate R van den Bos

Dermatologic SurgeryCohort studyTreatmentQ1IF 2.8

Five-year cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma recurrence did not differ significantly between Mohs micrographic surgery and standard excision after adjustment

Five-year Recurrence Rate of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Mohs Micrographic Surgery Versus Standard Excision: a Prospective Multicentre Cohort Study.

Celeste J Eggermont … Renate R van den Bos

The British journal of dermatology · Sep 2026 · Q1 in Dermatology

Background

Mohs micrographic surgery (mohs micrographic surgery) is a tissue-sparing alternative for standard excision (SE) for the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma).

Purpose

To compare 5-year recurrence rates between mohs micrographic surgery and SE for primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and secondarily to compare metastasis rates and the ratio of final defect size to initial tumour size.

Methods

Prospective multicentre cohort study of patients with primary CSCCs treated with mohs micrographic surgery or SE at six centres in the Netherlands.

n = 761 patients

Results

Mohs showed 51% higher recurrence hazard than excision, but the estimate was imprecise and not significant

sHR 1.51 (95% CI 0.66 to 3.44)

null 0

0.66

3.44

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

The 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence was 1.7% (95%CI 0.9%-3.0%) for SE and 3.3% (95%CI 1.6%-5.9%) for mohs micrographic surgery.

The 5-year cumulative incidence of metastasis was 0.8% (95%CI 0.3%-1.8%) for SE and 1.1% (0.3%-3.0%) for mohs micrographic surgery.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

No significant difference in 5-year recurrence rate was found between mohs micrographic surgery and SE, however, given the non-randomized design and the limited number of events, definitive conclusions about whether a true difference in efficacy exists cannot be drawn.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

mohs micrographic surgery resulted in smaller defects, supporting its use in cosmetically or functionally sensitive areas where tissue preservation is important.

Five-year Recurrence Rate of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Mohs Micrographic Surgery Versus Standard Excision: a Prospective Multicentre Cohort Study.

Five-year Recurrence Rate of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Mohs Micrographic Surgery Versus Standard Excision: a Prospective Multicentre Cohort Study.

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