WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2025 -- For patients with primary anogenital squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) yields lower rates of local recurrence compared with wide local excision (WLE) and vulvectomy, according to a review published online Feb. 23 in the International Journal of Dermatology.

Sujitha Yadlapat, M.D., from the HCA Corpus Christi Medical Center in McAllen, Texas, and colleagues systematically reviewed surgical modalities for the management of anogenital SCC. Seventy studies met the inclusion criteria: 46 examined WLE patients, eight utilized vulvectomy, and 24 examined patients who underwent MMS.

The researchers found that local recurrence rates were lower for MMS patients, while regional and distant recurrence rates did not differ. For WLE, the local, regional, and distant recurrence rates were 17.5, 5.1, and 6.0 percent, respectively, compared with 5.0, 3.8, and 4.3 percent for MMS. Patients treated with WLE were significantly more likely to have local recurrence, but not regional or distant recurrence.

"Our study demonstrates that MMS may lead to a lower local recurrence rate when compared to WLE," the authors write. "Therefore, it should be considered a viable option that can achieve superior outcomes with more precise tissue loss and possibly improved quality of life."

One author disclosed ties to CASTLE Biosciences, Kerecis, and Boehringer Ingelheim.