Site Updates
New merkelcell.org website launches! →An overview of Merkel cells, Merkel cell carcinoma, symptoms, and causes.
Learn More →The diagnosis of MCC is made with a skin biopsy, which is examined under the microscope.
Learn More →There are multiple treatments used for MCC, and treatment is generally based on stage of the disease.
Learn More →Disease recurrence and survival are two critical measures of prognosis.
Learn More →Explore resources about Merkel cell carcinoma, including frequently asked questions and our list of verified specialists.
Learn More →PURPOSE: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation. There is an unmet need for MCC-specific blood-based surrogate biomarkers of tumor burden; circulating cell-free micro(mi)RNA may serve this purpose. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Expression of miR-375 was q...
Read more →The 2018 Annual ASCO meeting was held in Chicago, IL between June 1 - 5th. The Annual Meeting brings together oncology professionals from around the world to discuss state-of-the-art treatment modalities, new therapies, and ongoing controversies in the field. Dr. Paul Nghiem presented on the, "Tw...
Read more →On June 13, 2018, Rebecca Voelker, of JAMA Medical News and Perspectives, published an article discussing the rise in interest and incidence of Merkel cell carcinoma. Physicians including Dr. Michael Hori, and Dr. Paul emphasize the importance of receiving appropriate care during diagnostic workup....
Read more →Before 2016, patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma — a rare and extremely deadly skin cancer — had no good treatment options to extend their lives more than a few months. Then, with two pivotal trials, everything changed. On Monday, investigators presented new, long-term data from these t...
Read more →Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer. The estimated 5-year survival of patients with metastatic disease is approximately 14%. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is associated with a modest median progression-free survival (PFS) of only 3 months. In recent s...
Read more →PURPOSE: The causative agent of most cases of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) has been identified as the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV). MCV encoded T-antigens (Tags) are essential not only for virus-mediated tumorigenesis but also for maintaining MCC cell lines in vitro. MCV Tags are thus an appealing ...
Read more →AIM: The aim of this article was to provide worldwide, population-based incidence rates for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). METHODS: We included 11,576 cases from 20 countries for time trend analyses (1990-2007) and 11,028 cases (2.5 billion person-years) from 21 countries for the period 2003-2007 extr...
Read more →Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that the National Health Service cover Bavencio (avelumab) as a treatment for adults with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC), a rare form of skin cancer. The institute’s Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) re...
Read more →BACKGROUND: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) incidence rates are rising and strongly age-associated, relevant for an aging population. OBJECTIVE: Determine MCC incidence in the United States and project incident cases through the year 2025. METHODS: Registry data were obtained from the SEER-18 Database, ...
Read more →MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 22, 2018 /CNW/ - EMD Serono, Canada, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the U.S. and Canada, and Pfizer Canada Inc. announced that Health Canada has approved BAVENCIO™ (avelumab for injection) for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcin...
Read more →The authoritative source on Merkel cell carcinoma.
Last updated:
June 1, 2019
Created in partnership with:
Seattle Multidisciplinary MCC Team, University of Washington MCC Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/Skin Cancer