NoNevus™ mole removal - a treatment for removing moles from skin

I was shocked to find out about my moles

From — Jolene Edgar

"I was shocked. I'm half-Colombian — not exactly fair-skinned — so didn't think I was the typical candidate for skin cancer," Glass says. She soon learned that Mohs surgery would be the best method for removing the remainder of the malignant tumor in the delicate area. A complex process, Mohs excises as little tissue as possible; a specially trained surgeon slices away thin layers of skin and analyzes each under a microscope until only cancer-free tissue remains. But because Glass's cancer had penetrated deeply, a plastic surgeon would also have to be available to patch up the area post-surgery.

After the carcinoma was thoroughly removed, the plastic surgeon performed a skin graft, replacing the thin skin near Glass's eye with tissue from behind her ear. The new tissue was lighter-skinned. Plus, it thickened during the healing process, creating a flap of skin, an irregularity Glass found embarrassing.

It took two more cosmetic surgeries for Glass to feel comfortable with her appearance. But the Mohs, which has a 99 percent success rate with basal cell carcinoma, has kept her cancer-free. And although she's still haunted by her missed diagnosis, she feels oddly grateful for her brush with cancer; it taught her the importance of finding the best doctor and paying attention to her body. "I'm so afraid of being misdiagnosed again," she says. "I'm now one of those people who goes to every doctor in town until I find the best one. Well, actually, the best two."

What you can learn from her

Make time for your health: Get an annual skin check, regardless of your skin tone. "The key to securing the near 100 percent cure rate is early detection and appropriate treatment," says Andrew J. Kaufman, M.D., a dermatological surgeon in Thousand Oaks, California. And choose your doctor wisely. "Anyone, even a doctor, can potentially miss a skin cancer. But studies show dermatologists are best at identifying them," Dr. Kaufman explains.

MSN

POSTED (05.12.08)