Called the foremost skin cancer surgeon in the world, Frederich E. Mohs was a sturdy bough on a family tree that reaches its branches through the University of Wisconsin. He died July 1 at the age of 92.
Mohs is widely known for developing a surgery to treat skin cancer that bears his name. The technique, also known as chemosurgery, allows removal not just the visible parts of a skin cancer but also its cancerous roots, which can branch into blood vessels, nerves and cartilage. The Mohs method was used to remove a skin cancer from President Ronald Reagan’s nose in 1985, according to the New York Times.
Mohs’ career at UW began in the 1930s when he discarded his hope of becoming a radio engineer and began studying medicine. He first researched microscopically controlled surgery on rats and other animals. He treated his first patient using the Mohs method in 1936.
Almost a lifetime UW researcher, Mohs is survived by three children, one of which remains prominent in the UW community: Frederich Mohs Jr., who serves on the UW Board of Regents.
Frederich Edward Mohs was born in Burlington, Wisconsin on March 1, 1910. He moved to Madison with his family after the death of his father when he was three months old. His two sons remain in the city and a daughter, Jane Shimming, lives in Jupiter, Fla. Mohs is also survived by seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
fA dedicated advocate and teacher of his surgical methods, Mohs became widely known for his technique that used zinc chemicals to remove inner levels of cancerous tissue, allowing for minimal scarring and less damage of non-cancerous tissue than other treatments. Author Carolyn Shuck referred to Mohs in her 2001 book, “Saving Face: My Victory Over Skin Cancer,” as the world’s foremost skin cancer surgeon.
Although his treatment using chemicals was initially controversial, the treatment proved effective and Mohs went on to found the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology at Schaumburg, Ill. His treatments are up to 99 percent effective for surface cancers. The Mohs Surgery Clinic at UW is located two blocks west of University Hospital.
Memorial services were held Wednesday.
