Cryosurgery of cutaneous carcinomas. An 18-year study of 3,022 patients with 4,228 carcinomas.

In the past 18 years, 3,022 patients with a combined total of 4,228 cutaneous carcinomas were subjected to cryosurgery. Proper selection of patients, histologic type of the tumor, and its anatomic site are important considerations to determine the use of cryosurgery as a therapeutic modality. Indications and contraindications are precisely outlined and the importance of monitoring neoplasms during freezing is emphasized. A long period of follow-up in this series is supportive evidence that cryosurgery is a distinct therapeutic tool for the management of skin cancers and attests to its effectiveness, when properly administered by the skilled cryosurgeon.