Merkel Cell Carcinoma: The Other Serious Cutaneous Tumor

MCC is associated with other cancers, particularly squamous cell carcinoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is incompletely understood. To better characterize this rare cutaneous neuroendocrine malignancy, investigators reviewed data in the Danish national health and population registers, which cover >95% of all cancers in Denmark; 185 received an MCC diagnosis from 1978 to 2006.

Incidence increased from 1978 until 1994 when it stabilized at a rate of 2.2 cases per million person-years. MCC occurred equally often in men and women. At diagnosis, more than 90% of patients were 65 or older, 55% had localized disease, 13% had regional metastases, 7% had distant metastases, and 25% had unstaged disease. Mortality rates at 1 year were 22% in patients with localized disease and 54% in those with nonlocalized disease; these per…

Reviewing Author

Craig A. Elmets, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals

EquityVaxin

Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.

Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)