Question of the Month: What Are Clear Margins?

Understanding Your Skin Cancer Pathology Report

After having a skin cancer removed, you may hear your healthcare provider say that your pathology report shows “clear margins.” But what exactly does that mean, and why is it important?

Understanding the results of a skin cancer procedure can sometimes be confusing, especially when unfamiliar medical terms appear in your pathology report. Knowing what those terms mean can help you better understand your treatment and what may happen next.

In this month’s Question of the Month, Krista Rubin, MS, FNP-BC, AIM at Skin Cancer’s Ask a Skin Cancer Nurse, answers a question commonly asked after skin cancer removal.

What Are Clear Margins?

When a skin cancer is removed, the tissue may be examined by a pathologist to determine whether cancer cells are present at the edges, or margins, of the removed tissue.

If the pathology report indicates that the margins are clear, it means that no cancer cells were identified at the examined edges of the tissue sample. This is an important finding because it helps your healthcare provider assess whether the cancer was completely removed.

But what happens if the margins aren’t clear? And does having clear margins mean that no additional care or follow-up is needed?

In our second Question of the Month, Krista explains what clear margins mean, why they matter, and how this information helps healthcare providers evaluate the results of a skin cancer removal.

Have a Question for Krista?

Question of the Month is about the questions patients and caregivers actually have. If there’s something you’ve been wondering about, we want to hear it.

Submit your question through AIM at Skin Cancer’s Ask a Skin Cancer Nurse service. Your question could become a future Question of the Month.

And check back each month for another short answer from Krista.

This video and article are provided for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace individualized medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about questions or concerns related to your health and care.