Merkel Cell Carcinoma Of Skin Research Articles

Incidence and risk factors for early mortality in adults with skin Merkel cell carcinoma: A SEER-based study

To the Editor: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is highly aggressive and relatively uncommon and hence little is known about early death in MCC. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to assess the early death incidence and associated factors for MCC.

Prospective analysis of the utility of 18-FDG PET in Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin: A Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Study, TROG 09:03.

TROG 09.03 prospectively studied the utility of Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG) PET in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma of skin. Following consent and registration, a pre-treatment FDG-PET/CT was performed. Sites of avid disease were confirmed by cytology where practicable. Following surgery, patients with AJCCv7 Stages IIA-IIIB disease were treated with chemo-radiotherapy and reassessed with a post-treatment PET. Fifty-eight subjects (45 males and 13 females, median age 68years) were enrolled between 2011 and 2015, 43 patients of whom went on to receive chemo-radiotherapy. An occult primary was present in 22 (37.9%), T1 in 22 (37.9%) and T2 disease in 14 (24.1%). Nodal disease was present in 69% of cases. Fifty per cent of subjects had gross residual disease at the primary site and/or nodal site at the time of registration. 18-FDG PET/CT had a sensitivity of 94.74% (95% CI 82-99.3%) and a specificity of 88.24% (95% CI 63.56-98.54). The positive predictive value was 94.74% (83.01-98.51) and the negative predictive value was 88.24% (95% CI 65.81-96.69). The pre-treatment PET influenced a treatment decision in 27.6% of cases. Upstaging occurred in 15 (25.9%), with no down staging. Other diseases were identified in 4 (6.9%) patients. Univariate analysis failed to demonstrate that pre-treatment SUV levels or a negative post-treatment PET had any impact on overall survival. PET staged patients had 89% 3-year in-field loco-regional control and 76% 3-year overall survival. Staging 18-FDG-PET significantly influenced treatment decisions in approximately one-third of cases of MCC and should be considered in the routine pre-treatment work-up. Post-treatment PET was not found to be prognostic. Funding through the Medicare Benefits Schedule needs to be considered for high risk MCC.

Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck: A case presentation in the light of literature

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma of skin is seen mostly in elderly Caucasians. Mortality and morbidity is very high. Treatment of these cases is also quite difficult. Recommended treatment is primary total excision, sentinel lymph node dissection after sentinel lymph node sampling and adding radiotherapy or chemotherapy according to stage. Case Presentation: A 35 year old female patient had surgery because of an unhealed wound on the right ear. After giving adjuvant curative radiotherapy the patient had been followed for 18 months. After 18 months of follow up, Merkel cell carcinoma metastasis was detected and para-aortic metastatic mass was resected. The patient is being considered for chemotherapy. Conclusion: Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy observed mostly in elderly Caucasians. Management consists of surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in accordance with the stage.

Clinical behavior and prognosis of lymph-nodal Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in the absence of a primary tumor.

e19038 Background: MCC is a rare cutaneous neuroendocrine neoplasm characterized by an aggressive behavior and a high recurrence rate, generally associated with poor prognosis. Nodal and distant metastases are frequent. Aim of this study was to report histological, clinical and prognostic features of a series of 12 patients with nodal MCC in the lack of evidence of a primary. Methods: The cases were collected from a multicentric database: mean age at diagnosis was 67 years; F:M ratio was 1:1.4; mean follow up was 54 months (8-108). Involved nodal sites were: inguinal (9) and axillar (3). All cases had typical MCC immunoprofile: neuroendocrine (CgA, NSE, Syn) and epithelial (CK 20 dot-like) marker positivity. Complete and extensive clinical, dermatologic, radiologic and endoscopic work-up was performed. All patients underwent surgical excision; in one case chemotherapy, in another case biotherapy and in one further case radiotherapy was administered. Results: All cases were in stage III of disease, according to AJCC. All patients were alive without recurrence at the time of the study. The overall mean survival was 52 months. The 4-yr survival was 100%. Conclusions: In patients with nodal metastases of MCC in the absence of a primary lesion, survival seems to be more similar to stage I rather than stage III, since 4-yr survival is reported about 60% for stage III disease in MCC. This finding must still be completely explained. Regression of a small skin primary with nodal metastases or alternatively a primary nodal MCC might be hypothesized. In conclusion, the unknown primary nodal metastatic skin MCC seems to be associated with a more favorable prognosis.

Merkel cell carcinoma of skin – current controversies and recommendations

Merkel cell carcinoma of skin – current controversies and recommendations

Weekly Carboplatin Reduces Toxicity During Synchronous Chemoradiotherapy for Merkel Cell Carcinoma of Skin

The toxicity of radiotherapy (RT) combined with weekly carboplatin and adjuvant carboplatin and etoposide was prospectively assessed in a group of patients with high-risk Stage I and II Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin. This regimen was compared with the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 96:07 study, which used identical eligibility criteria but carboplatin and etoposide every 3 weeks during RT. Patients were eligible if they had disease localized to the primary site and lymph nodes, with high-risk features. RT was delivered to the primary site and lymph nodes to a dose of 50 Gy and weekly carboplatin (area under the curve of 2) was given during RT. This was followed by three cycles of carboplatin and etoposide. A total of 18 patients were entered into the study, and their data were compared with the data from 53 patients entered into the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 96:07 study. Involved lymph nodes (Stage II) were present in 14 patients (77%). Treatment was completed as planned in 16 patients. The weekly carboplatin dose was delivered in 17 patients, and 15 were able to complete all three cycles of adjuvant carboplatin and etoposide. Grade 3 and 4 neutrophil toxicity occurred in 7 patients, but no cases of febrile neutropenia developed. Compared with the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 96:07 protocol (19 of 53 cases of febrile neutropenia), the reduction in the febrile neutropenia rate (p = 0.003) and decrease in Grade 3 skin toxicity (p = 0.006) were highly statistically significant. The results of our study have shown that weekly carboplatin at this dosage is a safe way to deliver synchronous chemotherapy during RT for MCC and results in a marked reduction of febrile neutropenia and Grade 3 skin toxicity compared with the three weekly regimen.

Trisomy of chromosome 6 in Merkel cell carcinoma within lymph nodes

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the skin is a neuroendocrine tumor with characteristic histological and immunohistochemical features. Among various cytogenetic changes, trisomy of chromosome 6 has been reported in 47% of cases using in situ hybridization. Primary tumors, morphologically and immunohistochemically identical to MCCs of the skin, have been described in other organs, including lymph nodes. Here, a cytogenetic study of four cases of MCC of lymph nodes is presented. Four cases of primary MCCs of lymph nodes and ten cases of cutaneous MCCs were studied for chromosome 6 using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). All cases showed typical features of MCC both at hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry. FISH showed trisomy 6 in two out of the four cases ofMCCs of lymph node as well as in 6 out 10 cases of MCCs of skin. Lymph nodal and cutaneous MCCs share same histological and immunohistochemical features, as well as same cytogenetic alteration for chromosome 6. It seems that there are more similarities than differences between cutaneous and lymph nodal MCCs. Whether lymph nodal MCCs are primary tumors or metastases from regressed skin lesions is still questionable, although several findings indicate a primary origin.

Adjuvant radiotherapy improves survival in MCC of skin

Adjuvant radiotherapy improves survival in patients with local and regional merkel-cell carcinoma (MCC) of the skin (J Clin Oncol 2007; 25: 1043–47).

Immunohistochemical study of apoptosis markers and involvement of chemokine CXCR4 in skin Merkel cell carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cancer of the skin that mainly affects elderly patients. Because of its rarity, there is no established treatment or proven markers to guide therapy or prognosis. Immunohistochemical expression of apoptosis proteins is considered a useful marker of both malignancy and tumour progression. Apoptosis plays a fundamental role in skin homeostasis, and apoptotic cells have been detected in normal and diseased skin. Chemokines possess a wide range of biological activities and CXCR4 is expressed in some cancer cells, where it plays an efficient role in metastasis formation. To identify immunohistochemical parameters that can help clinicians select the most suitable therapy for skin MCC. Antibodies against ki67, bcl-2, p53, survivin, p16 and CXCR4 were tested to assess the usefulness of these antigens as indices of proliferation potential and predictors of prognosis. Immunohistochemical detection of apoptosis inhibitors and CXCR4 was performed on tissue from 12 patients with primary MCC. After excision of the primary lesion, five survived and had no metastases, and seven experienced local recurrence or lymph node metastases. Expression of ki67 and survivin was increased in patients with local recurrence or metastasis (retrospectively classified as 'poor prognosis') compared with those with a 'good prognosis', and bcl-2 expression was significantly greater (P=0.003). P53 and p16 immunostaining was moderate in both groups. A positive correlation was observed between survivin and mutant p53 in the poor prognosis group (r=0.593, P=0.033; regression coefficient). High values of p53 were measured in patients with high levels of survivin and vice versa. CXCR4 was not detected at all. Our results show strong MCC cell apoptosis inhibition and a high cell proliferation capacity. The positive correlation between survivin and p53 may be a predictor of MCC spread via the lymphatic network. Absent CXCR4 expression may reflect a less aggressive form, with less efficient development of distant and non-organ-selective metastasis formation.

Mohs' Micrographic Surgery for Merkel Cell Carcinomas of the Eyelid

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine tumour that may affect the eyelid. There is no consensus on the optimal treatment for eyelid MCC, and management remains controversial. Here we present our experience in a case of eyelid MCC treated by Mohs' micrographic surgery. Although this treatment has been advocated for general skin MCCs, there is very little experience with this technique in relation to eyelid MCCs. We suggest that Mohs' micrographic surgery may be an appropriate method of treating MCCs of the eyelid.

A case of keratin-positive acute myeloid leukemia: a possible role for cytokeratin 19 as a specific epithelial marker

A patient with relapsed acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML, FAB M4) developed skin infiltration by leukemic blasts. On immunochemistry, the blasts showed "bot" positive cytoplasmic staining for cytokeratins AE1/AE3 and CAM 5.2, resembling the pattern seen in Merkel cell carcinoma of skin. However, the blasts were positive for myeloid markers and negative for cytokeratin 19 and chromogranin. Aberrant immunochemical staining can lead to misdiagnosis unless a panel of antibodies of known specificity is used in tumor diagnosis, and the clinical context is taken into account. The possible role of cytokeratin 19 as a more specific marker for epithelia than keratin cocktails is discussed.