News & Publications

Dear friends of Merkel cell carcinoma research, During this time of giving and celebrations, I want to let you know how appreciative our Merkel Team is of your support.  This year was one of many exciting milestones that I am thrilled to share with you.   We have written an annual update lette...

Authorization for BAVENCIO® (avelumab) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) has been granted in several locations worldwide. Updates on avelumab approvals: United States --- March 23, 2017 Switzerland --- September 5, 2017 E...

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, ...

On October 27, 2017, Laura A. Stokowski, of Medscape, released the details from an interview with Dr. Paul Nghiem regarding Merkel cell carcinoma and its defining characteristics, proper management, and recent advances in treatment options. Use of the "AEIOU" characteristics can help in identifying...

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but highly aggressive skin cancer with neuroendocrine features. MCC pathogenesis is associated with either the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus or chronic exposure to ultraviolet light (UV), which can cause a characteristic pattern of multiple DNA mutations....

On October 19th, 2017, Danielle Bucco of OncLive released an article pertaining to the advantages of treating Merkel cell carcinoma with immunotherapy. Historically, chemotherapy has been used as the first line of treatment. However, recent statistics highlight the difference in progression-free sur...

On Thursday October 19th, Dr. Paul Nghiem had the opportunity to meet with Dr. J. Helen Leonard. He shares his experience below. "After collaborating for over a decade, I, finally got to meet Dr J. Helen Leonard here in Brisbane, Australia, the city in which she started the world’s first resear...

On October 2, 2017, Jake Siegel, of The UW Medicine Huddle, released an article on Dr. Paul Nghiem's path to studying  and specializing in Merkel cell carcinoma.  As Nghiem states, "MCC had morphed from a chore to a moderately interesting subject to a two-decade whirlwind of clinical, basic and tr...

Overview On September 11, 2017 in Seattle, over 260 patients, family members, clinicians, scientists, and trainees from across the United States gathered for the 12th annual Merkel cell carcinoma Dinner Meeting. They enjoyed a lovely buffet dinner, music, lab tours and a presentation on the statu...

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare skin cancer caused by Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infection and/or ultraviolet radiation–induced somatic mutations. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is evidence that an active immune response to MCPyV and tumor-associated neoantigens occurs ...