Curettage and shave excision. A tissue-saving technic for primary cutaneous carcinoma worthy of inclusion in graduate training programs.

Curettage and electrodesiccation, the customary treatment for primary basal and squamous cell carcinomas, lacks histologic control and standardization. A review of the literature cites these factors as potential causes for undesirable recurrence rates, especially in cosmetically sensitive areas. Curettage and shave excision offers histologic control, yet with no more sacrifice of normal tissue than curettage and electrodesiccation. An experimental study with 100 patients is described in which curettage and shave excision was used, instead of curettage and electrodesiccation, to treat primary carcinomas 1.0 cm or less. It is suggested that curettage and shave excision, while simple in concept, requires formal training and warrants consideration for inclusion into graduate training programs as an alternative effective treatment for primary carcinomas.