Our team based in Seattle conducted a comprehensive review including evolving trends in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). This summary covers key decision points, including recommended work-up during initial diagnosis, treatment options for MCC when it’s in one place or has spread, management of recurrent MCC, and new treatments that are showing promise with fewer side effects and good results. This review gives valuable information on how to handle MCC overall and emphasizes new methods that are effective and less toxic on patients.
Published data for pediatric and young adult patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) are scarce. Case reports from the United States and Europe suggest that MCC can occur in young persons and may be more aggressive in this setting. We sought to determine the frequency of MCC in pediatric and young adult populations and establish whether MCC is more likely to present at advanced stages in younger people. To minimize referral bias and maximize available data, we used the National Program of Cancer Registries Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (NPCR SEER) database, which captures incident cancer cases in more than 98% of the US population.