The College of American Pathologists (CAP) has awarded the University of Vermont College of Medicine’s teaching hospital partner Fletcher Allen Health Care accreditation of its Mohs surgical lab based on the results of a recent evaluation.

The Mohs surgical procedure – named for its inventor Frederic Mohs, M.D. – involves the removal of cancerous lesions and surrounding skin in very thin layers. Once removed, these layers are immediately examined under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells. If cancer is detected, the surgeon removes additional layers until no cancer can be seen. It is considered the most advanced and effective treatment for most types of skin cancers.

“Vermont has some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the country, so it’s important to be able to provide this procedure to our patients, particularly because the cure rate is high and cosmetic problems can be minimized,” says Glenn Goldman, M.D., UVM professor of medicine and director of dermatology at Fletcher Allen. “The CAP accreditation reflects the hard work and skill of our surgeons and other highly trained members of our team.”

To earn accreditation from CAP, the Fletcher Allen Mohs lab had to meet stringent standards for staff qualifications, facilities, quality control and safety among other factors.

On a related note, McGraw-Hill recently published a book by Goldman on “facial flap” surgery, a procedure used if large openings result from Mohs and other skin cancer procedures. The book provides instruction on a wide range of flap surgeries, some of which have not been addressed before in a publication.

Goldman presented a Fall 2012 Community Medical School lecture on “Saving Your Skin: How Mohs Surgery Treats Skin Cancer” on October 2, 2012 in Carpenter Auditorium in the Given Building at the UVM College of Medicine.

Listen to an audio interview on skin cancer in Vermont, MOHS surgery and other treatment options featuring Goldman.

Check out a skin cancer-related blog post by Ted A. James, M.D., UVM associate professor of surgery and surgical oncologist at Fletcher Allen, and Kathryn Schwarzenberger M.D., UVM professor of medicine and a dermatologist at Fletcher Allen.

(This article was adapted from a news release produced by Michael Carrese of Fletcher Allen Health Care’s marketing and communications office.)