PhD Defence Eva van Loo

Keywords: Basal cell carcinoma, Optical coherence tomography, Surgical margins, Mohs micrographic surgery 
 

"The Knife Cuts One Way: Non-invasive Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma" 

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most prevalent type of skin cancer. One in five people in the Netherlands will develop a basal cell carcinoma during his or her life. BCC is typically diagnosed by means of a skin biopsy. This is an invasive procedure that carries a small risk for adverse events. Also, the patient has to wait 1-2 weeks for the results. Since the incidence of BCC is still rising, is poses a great burden on our health care system. This thesis investigated the diagnostic value of a non-invasive optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan of the skin. It also investigated the learning curve for correct interpretation of these scans. Additionally, the thesis investigated what the most optimal surgical margins and surgical technique for BCC are and sought to define patients at risk to experience higher pain scores during dermatologic surgery. 

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