Different prognosis in cutaneous early-onset and late-onset Merkel cell carcinoma: a population-based retrospective study

Merkelcell.org Summary

There isn’t much research on how Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) differs when it develops early in life compared to later. In this study, researchers looked at 526 patients with early-onset MCC (diagnosed before age 50) and 1,415 with late-onset MCC (diagnosed after age 50). They found that survival rates were similar for patients whose MCC hadn’t spread, regardless of age. However, younger patients were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced MCC that had already spread, although the reason for this isn’t clear. Even with more advanced disease, younger patients did not have worse survival rates, possibly because they are more likely to receive immunotherapy and undergo more aggressive surgery and radiation treatments. This research helps doctors understand how age at diagnosis might affect patient outcomes and encourages further research into why younger MCC patients often have more advanced MCC.

Abstract