Operative expectations for Mohs surgery in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are immunocompromised and have both a higher incidence of and more aggressive skin cancers, often requiring treatment with Mohs micrographic surgery. Characterize operative expectations for Mohs surgery in patients with CLL. Multicenter retrospective cohort study. One hundred fifty-nine tumors from 99 patients with CLL were matched 1:4 with controls. Cases had higher odds for requiring at least 3 stages during Mohs surgery compared to controls (odds ratio=1.91; 95% CI [1.21-3.02]; P=.01). The mean number of Mohs stages in cases was 1.97 (±0.92) compared with 1.67 (±0.87) in controls (P=.0001). A regression analysis showed that cases had larger postoperative tumor areas (cm2) versus controls (mean=5.57 vs 4.47; estimate difference Δβ=1.10cm2; 95% CI [0.18-2.03]; P=.02). In logistic regression, cases were twice as likely to receive a flap repair compared to controls (odds ratio=2.45; 95% CI [1.58-3.8]). Retrospective cohort study and lack of histologic subtyping of tumors. Patients with CLL require more Mohs stages to attain clear surgical margins, have larger postoperative defect areas, and require more advanced repair techniques compared to a control population without CLL. These findings are essential for preoperative planning and patient counseling and further support the use of Mohs surgery in patients with CLL.