Frozen Section Tissue Staining For Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Non-melanoma skin cancer has the highest incidence globally. The most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Currently, Mohs micrographic surgery is the gold standard in the management of non-melanoma skin cancer because of its higher success rate, lower recurrence rate, and better cosmetic outcome compared to conventional surgery. Hematoxylin and eosin are commonly used for tissue staining of frozen sections in Mohs micrographic surgery. In some cases, other staining such as toluidine blue, hematoxylin and safranin O, periodic acid-Schiff, and oil red O are required to identify the characteristic features of various types of cancer. The use of properly frozen section tissue staining facilitates Mohs micrographic surgeon in determining the boundary of a cancer-free incision.