Management of Merkel cell carcinoma: Case series of 36 patients

  • Authors:
    • Anja Müller
    • Ronald Keus
    • Norbert Neumann
    • Guido Lammering
    • Thomas Schnabel
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 1, 2003     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.10.3.577
  • Pages: 577-585
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Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, highly malignant skin tumor with a predisposition for local, nodal and distant recurrence which should be managed in a multimodal approach. Here, we performed a retrospective analysis of 36 patients, treated from 1984 to 1994. In patients with stage I disease, locoregional recurrence after surgery alone occurred in 65% compared to 43% after excision and adjuvant radiotherapy. Although the difference in disease-specific survival was not significant (67% versus 52% at 5 years), combination therapy conferred a benefit for locoregional control and relapse-free survival (88 versus 58 months). The majority of failures (54%) occurred within the draining lymph nodes that were not treated in the initial approach and locoregional recurrence was strongly associated with a later systemic relapse (50% versus 0%). Salvage after localized recurrence was achieved in 67% of resectable cases. The high rate of nodal recurrence after surgery alone warrants the use of elective nodal treatment in patients with stage I disease. Surgical resection of the primary tumor should be followed by postoperative radiotherapy to the primary site and draining lymph nodes. Even after locoregional recurrence, a substantial proportion of patients is able to achieve long-term disease-free survival, particularly after complete resection and adjuvant irradiation.

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May-June 2003
Volume 10 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Müller A, Keus R, Neumann N, Lammering G and Schnabel T: Management of Merkel cell carcinoma: Case series of 36 patients. Oncol Rep 10: 577-585, 2003
APA
Müller, A., Keus, R., Neumann, N., Lammering, G., & Schnabel, T. (2003). Management of Merkel cell carcinoma: Case series of 36 patients. Oncology Reports, 10, 577-585. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.10.3.577
MLA
Müller, A., Keus, R., Neumann, N., Lammering, G., Schnabel, T."Management of Merkel cell carcinoma: Case series of 36 patients". Oncology Reports 10.3 (2003): 577-585.
Chicago
Müller, A., Keus, R., Neumann, N., Lammering, G., Schnabel, T."Management of Merkel cell carcinoma: Case series of 36 patients". Oncology Reports 10, no. 3 (2003): 577-585. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.10.3.577