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Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly lethal, cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma with a rapidly rising worldwide incidence. Risk factors include advanced age, history of ultraviolet exposure, and immunosuppression. Although the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is commonly found in normal skin of unaffected individuals, the virus is genomically integrated into early tumors, expresses a mutated T antigen that retains oncogenic activity, and is necessary to the survival and proliferation of MCC cell lines. The evidence points to a causal role for MCPyV in MCC development. Until now, immune responses to MCC and MCPyV have not been correlated with outcome. Two recent investigations examine factors related to prognosis.
Touzé and colleague…