Testing & Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma is made with a skin biopsy, which is examined under the microscope.

At the time of diagnosis, your medical team will perform other tests to “stage” your cancer. The stage is based on many factors including the size of the tumor, the results of a sentinel lymph node biopsy, and scans. The stage of the cancer is the single most important measure of the chance that the cancer will return.