News & Publications

Managing MCC that recurs in patients who are immune suppressed due to an organ transplant (kidney, heart, etc) is a special challenge, as the immune therapies that block the PD1 pathway will cause rejection of the transplanted organ. This case shows the capacity of local immune therapy (with an inje...

This is a comprehensive analysis of 52 previously published studies across 1804 patients with Merkel cell carcinoma, addressing which approaches are most effective in preventing MCC recurrences. Because national databases do not capture recurrence data (only death) such studies must be done by local...

What makes life-saving discoveries possible? For patients like Peter Stults, they might say researchers and physicians such as those at UW Medicine. For researchers and physicians, they would say the generosity of spirit of people like Peter. Peter’s estate gift to the Seattle Merkel cell carci...

Although MCC fortunately does not often spread to the brain, this is an especially difficult site to treat. This manuscript summarizes results from four patients that closely mimic our own experience in Seattle. That is, there is a reasonable chance that patients with MCC that has spread to the brai...

In a study of 72 locally advanced MCC (disease involving regional lymph nodes) patients, the authors report that radiation therapy to the lymph nodes improves disease specific survival and reduces regional and distant recurrences.

This retrospective multi center analysis aimed to assess the outcomes of patients with metastatic of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) after discontinuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI treatment) such as Pembrolizumab and Avelumab. Data on treatment duration, tumor response, treatment cessation, ...

In a real-world study of 94 patients with locally advanced and metastatic MCC, 54 patients were treated with first line immunotherapy and 40 patients were treated with chemotherapy. The authors report that patients have improved outcomes with immunotherapy compared to chemotherapy. This may provide ...

With philanthropic support, the Nghiem Lab carried out research that has shown that for MCC, narrower surgical margins, when given with radiation, provide excellent protection against local disease recurrence.

A recent study by the Nghiem Lab, supported by philanthropy, found that a baseline PET-CT scan discovered ‘hidden’ disease in 1 in 6 patients with MCC, dramatically changing their treatment plans.

This publication adds to an already large number of studies that indicate that radiation can be considered a very effective primary therapy for MCC, particularly if surgery is not feasible. The Australians often treat MCC with radiation rather than surgery, and outcomes are very good. This concept j...