WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9, 2024 -- For patients with cutaneous leiomyosarcoma (cLMS), disease-specific survival (DSS) is similar with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and wide local excision (WLE) treatment, according to a research letter published online Sept. 27 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Tejas P. Joshi, M.D., from Wellstar Health System in Marietta, Georgia, and colleagues analyzed DSS in cLMS patients treated with MMS versus WLE using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Data were included for 72 and 310 cLMS patients treated with MMS and WLE, respectively.

Patients treated with MMS were more likely to have head and neck disease, localized stage, and household income ≥$75,000; no difference was seen in tumor size between the groups. The researchers found that DSS was similar for patients treated with MMS versus WLE; the findings persisted in an adjusted analysis incorporating age, income, and stage as covariates.

"Our data suggest MMS to be an effective surgical approach for the treatment of cLMS with equivalent DSS to WLE, supporting the current appropriate use criteria for cLMS," the authors write. "MMS also has the added benefit of tissue preservation."