MCC 2023 Holiday Letter

Dear Friend of Merkel Cell Carcinoma Merkel Cell Carcinoma A skin cancer composed of cells that look microscopically similar to normal Merkel cells present in the skin. MCC was first described in 1972 and only in the 1990s was the CK20 antibody developed to make it easily identifiable by pathologists. Many doctors and patients are not aware of this cancer because of its recent description and relative rarity (~2,000 cases/year in the US--roughly 30 times less common than melanoma). About 40% of patients treated for MCC will experience a recurrence, making it far more aggressive than most other types of skin cancer, including melanoma. Research,

As we enter this season of gratitude and reflection, I wish to express my deep appreciation for your partnership. I am delighted to present our annual holiday letter, which describes some of the progress that you have made possible this year. If you would like to continue supporting this work, you may do so via our online giving page. Your support is vital to catalyzing breakthroughs that will leave a lasting mark on our patients and their families, today and in the future.

Sincerely,

Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD
Interim Chair, University of Washington Dermatology
George F. Odland Endowed Chair in Dermatology
Affiliate Investigator and Director of the Skin Oncology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Cancer A term used to describe diseases in which abnormal cells continually divide without normal regulation. Cancerous cells may invade surrounding tissues and may spread to other regions of the body via blood and the lymphatic system. Center