Gov. Jerry Brown undergoes surgery to remove cancerous growth on his nose

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Gov. Jerry Brown had a cancerous growth removed from the right side of his nose in an outpatient procedure Friday in Oakland, according to a statement released Saturday by the governor’s office.

After the procedure to remove basal carcinoma cells and some reconstructive surgery, Brown was released to return home. Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common forms of skin cancer, can be caused by sun exposure and is very treatable.

Brown’s office said the procedure was conducted under a local anesthetic at a doctor’s office in Oakland. The procedure is called Mohs surgery, in which physicians remove microscopic layers of skin and examine them under a microscope to see if there are cancerous cells. If they are present, additional layers are removed and viewed until there is no more evidence of cancer.

While Brown continues to work on gubernatorial duties, the statement said, he will not appear in public until his stitches are removed. An aide said stitches would be removed starting Friday.

That decision forced the cancellation of Brown’s planned Sunday speech to the state Democratic Party convention in Sacramento. Democratic Party officials said the program would otherwise continue as planned.

On April 21, Brown was spotted with a small bandage on his nose at a budget town hall in Santa Clarita. His wife, Anne, told the Sacramento Bee that he ‘got a little thing taken off’ for testing but that it was not cancer.

-- Maeve Reston and Seema Mehta in Sacramento