Mohs surgery is generally the gold standard for rare and more aggressive tumors because the surgeon can ensure the roots of the tumor are gone, but the technique keeps the hole small, said Ally-Khan B. Somani, MD, PhD, at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress.
Mohs surgery is generally the gold standard for rare and more aggressive tumors because the surgeon can ensure the roots of the tumor are gone, but the technique keeps the hole small, said Ally-Khan B. Somani, MD, PhD, at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress.
Transcript
Do rarer tumors need to be operated on differently?
With Mohs surgery, because in a very simple way what we do is we go around the tumor—it doesn't matter what the tumor is. If it's a skin cancer, and there are different types, our goal is to check to see if we removed all the roots. So think of a tree. We're pulling out a tree and we're checking to see if the roots are there or not. Because if the roots are still there in the piece we've removed, then we need to line up those roots back to the patient and go back and dig some more. So it really doesn't change.
In fact, it is the gold standard for a lot of rare and more aggressive tumors because it affords us the ability to keep the hole small—which is good for the patient from a scar perspective—but also to provide them with a very high cure rate, which you would want if you're going to have a cancer on your face. You want to keep the whole small and you want to make sure it doesn't come back.
Are necessary cosmetic procedures covered by insurance, or do patients have to pay out of pocket?
Given the type of surgery I do, most of the surgeries I do are indicated, because patients are coming in with a cancer—in fact, that's pretty much my practice. However, if I do encounter a patient with a deviated septum or has a nasal issue, as long as there is a functional issue, then usually insurance companies will cover it. It's only when it's just a cosmetic, like rhinoplasty, that's not covered. It's considered a cosmetic procedure.
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Lack of Mutations Associated With Favorable Prognosis in MPN-U
April 25th 2024While the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System and bone marrow blasts may predict overall survival, the lack of certain mutations is also associated with a better prognosis for myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable (MPN-U).
Read More
What We’re Reading: FDA Approves UTI Antibiotic; Ozempic, Wegovy Price Investigation; US Births Fall
April 25th 2024The FDA recently approved an antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women; a Senate committee recently launched an investigation into the prices of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes and weight loss drugs; US births fell last year, resuming a national slide after a previous increase during the pandemic.
Read More