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Home › Dermatology › Mohs micrographic surgery reduces local recurrence by 12% versus superficial radiation therapy in nonmelanoma skin cancer

Mohs micrographic surgery reduces local recurrence by 12% versus superficial radiation therapy in nonmelanoma skin cancerMohs Surgery Shows Lower Recurrence Than Radiation for Skin Cancer

Dermatologic surgery : official publication for American Society for Dermatologic Surgery [et al.] Published June 1, 2026 Study authors: Patel Jay R, Engels Ella, Chinchilli Ellen, Lambert Smith Franki PubMed ↗ DOI ↗ Editorial oversight: Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

AI-generated summary of the cited source, checked by automated accuracy review. How we work

Key Takeaway
Consider MMS over SRT for lower local recurrence in nonmelanoma skin cancer.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates treatment options for patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer. The authors compared superficial radiation therapy (SRT) against Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) using data from 7,809 cases treated with SRT and 10,247 cases treated with MMS.

The primary outcome assessed was local recurrence rates. Results indicate that local recurrence rates were lower for MMS compared with SRT. The absolute recurrence rate was 1.9% (95% CI, 1.0%-2.9%) for MMS and 6.3% (95% CI, 3.6%-9.6%) for SRT. The pooled effect size was -12% with a 95% CI of -19% to -5% and a p-value of .0013.

Safety data, including adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, and tolerability, were not reported in the source. The authors note that the certainty of the evidence is not explicitly graded in the provided text. Clinicians should consider these findings when weighing recurrence risk against other factors not detailed in this analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis looked at patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer. The researchers compared two treatments: superficial radiation therapy, known as SRT, and Mohs micrographic surgery, known as MMS. The study included data from 7,809 cases treated with SRT and 10,247 cases treated with MMS.

The main finding focused on local recurrence rates. The analysis showed that recurrence rates were lower for MMS compared with SRT. Specifically, the rate was 1.9% for MMS and 6.3% for SRT. This represents an absolute difference of 12%.

The statistical confidence for this result was high, with a p-value of .0013. The study did not report adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, or tolerability issues. Because the evidence comes from a meta-analysis of existing cases, it provides a broad view of these two common options. Readers should note that this data reflects past outcomes and does not guarantee results for every individual.

What this means for you:
Mohs surgery showed lower local recurrence rates than superficial radiation therapy for nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedJun 2026
PMID41343548
View Original Abstract ↓
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies comparing the effectiveness of superficial radiation therapy (SRT) in treating nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) compared with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). OBJECTIVE: The goal of this research was to systematically compare the local recurrence rates of NMSC treated with SRT versus MMS. METHODS: A literature search was performed using Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL databases from inception to November 13, 2024. Two investigators independently screened and selected case series, cohort studies, chart reviews, and randomized controlled trials reporting outcomes of SRT and/or MMS for NMSC. A meta-analysis was then performed using the random-effects model calculated weighted local recurrence rates for SRT and MMS. RESULTS: Nine studies containing 7,809 cases of NMSC treated with SRT and 17 studies containing 10,247 cases of NMSC treated with MMS were included. Local recurrence rates were lower for MMS 1.9% (95% CI, 1.0%-2.9%) compared with SRT 6.3% (95% CI, 3.6%-9.6%). Subgroup analysis identified a difference in local recurrence between MMS and SRT of -12% (95% CI, -19% to -5%; p = .0013). CONCLUSION: Systematic review and meta-analysis reveal a lower NMSC local recurrence rate for treatment with MMS compared with SRT.
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