Researchers at Asan Medical Center have developed a method of using 3D printing technology to reduce unnecessary skin resection and the risk of recurrence by accurately removing only the cancerous lesion during skin cancer surgery.

Until now, hospitals mainly performed skin cancer surgery by performing Mohs surgery and capsulectomy.

However, there were limitations to each surgery.

Mohs surgery, which can minimize resection of normal skin, took a long time and was applied only to treating relatively small-sized skin cancers. In comparison, capsulectomy depended on the lesion's shape on the skin and was difficult to use for skin cancers formed deep along the neural tube, cartilage, or embryonic fusion plane.

The AMC team, led by Professors Choi Jong-woo of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Kim Nam-gook of the Department of Convergence Medicine, modeled the patient's skin and lesions in three dimensions based on information obtained from computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of skin cancer patients.

Afterward, the team projected the lesion's shape vertically on the surface to secure an accurate resection range and then printed the resection guide with a 3D printer.

The research team also produced a sophisticated body phantom and quantitatively measured the accuracy of the guide.

As a result, when the team confirmed an invading area of the lesion through a CT or magnetic resonance imaging MRI scan, they could confirm the depth and the width and length of the lesion, making it possible to set the exact resection range.

When using the technology in the actual medical field, physicians can place a 3D skin cancer surgery guide on the anesthetized patient's face, which shows the tumor area in the skin three-dimensionally on the patient's skin exactly according to the shape of their nose and ears.

By following this guide, surgeons can precisely remove cancer lesions by marking multiple resection areas that match the size of the tumor.

The team expects that the 3D skin cancer surgery guide will minimize the resection area, which conventionally depended on the surgeon's experience, and ensure accurate and safe surgical results by establishing a surgical plan tailored to each patient based on detailed measurements.

"If a hospital uses the 3D printer guide to excise skin cancer of a certain size or larger that is visible in various images, it can secure an accurate resection margin, reducing the possibility of reoperation or recurrence while preserving normal skin," Professor Choi said. "As the method can enhance the aesthetic effect, it can also greatly contribute to the improvement of the patient's quality of life after surgery."

Professor Kim also said, "This study is meaningful by producing a 3D printed surgical guide that can accurately excise skin cancer and evaluate its accuracy through a sophisticated body phantom."

Kim added that the team would continue its research to help patients and doctors by applying patient-specific 3D printing medical devices to various fields.