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Merkel cell carcinoma
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer that usually appears as a flesh-colored or bluish-red nodule, often on the face, head or neck
Prevalence
1-9 / 100 000
3,310-29,790
US Estimated
5,135-46,215
Europe Estimated
Age of Onset
ICD-10
C44.3
C44.6
C44.7
Inheritance
This condition does not appear to have a clear pattern of inheritance.
5 Facts you should know
FACT
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) usually presents as a firm nodule (up to 2 cm diameter) or mass (>2 cm diameter)
FACT
They are flesh-colored, red, or blue tumors typically, vary in size from 0.5 - 5 cm in diameter - and often enlarge rapidly
FACT
Although MCC may arise almost anywhere on the body, it is most commonly found in sun-exposed areas such as the head, neck, or extremities
FACT
Merkel-cell cancers tend to invade locally, infiltrating the underlying subcutaneous fat, fascia, and muscle, and typically metastasize early in their natural history
FACT
It is more common in people over 60 years old, Caucasian people, and males
Interest over time
Google searches
Common signs & symptoms
Merkel cell skin cancer
Cellular immunodeficiency
Chronic noninfectious lymphadenopathy
Cutaneous photosensitivity
Erythematous macule
Erythematous plaque
Regional abnormality of skin
Skin nodule
Current treatments
FDA-Approved Treatments—The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.
Avelumab
(Brand name: Bavencio) Manufactured by EMD Serono Research and Development Institute, Inc.
FDA-approved indication: Treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.
National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
Pembrolizumab
(Brand name: Keytruda) Manufactured by Merck, Sharp, and Dohme Corp.
FDA-approved indication: December 2018, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.
National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal
Medline Plus Health Information
Clinical trials
| Title | Description | Phases | Status | Interventions | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study of AU-007, A Monoclonal Antibody That Binds to IL-2 and Inhibits IL-2Rα Binding, in Patients With Unresectable Locally Advanced or Metastatic Cancer | This is a first in human, open-label, multi-center Phase 1 / 2 study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and initial efficacy of AU-007 in patients with advanced solid tumors. AU-007 will be administered either as a monotherapy, or in combination with a single loading dose of aldesleukin, or with... | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Recruiting | Drug: AU-007 Drug: Aldesleukin Drug: Avelumab Drug: Nivolumab | More Info |
| The Cancer Connected Access and Remote Expertise Beyond Walls Program to Provide In-Home Cancer Treatment and Improve Treatment Satisfaction in Cancer Patients Living in the Florida Panhandle and Surrounding Areas | This phase II trial studies whether providing cancer treatment in the home is preferred over the traditional clinic setting and if it improves treatment satisfaction in cancer patients living in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas. Typically, drug-related cancer care is provided at a medical... | Phase 2 | Recruiting | Drug: Cancer Therapeutic Procedure Other: Questionnaire Administration | More Info |
| Intratumoral PH-762 for Cutaneous Carcinoma | The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intratumoral injections of PH-762 in squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, or Merkel cell carcinomas of the skin, to understand what the body does to the PH-762, and to observe how the tumor responds to the drug. Participants... | Phase 1 | Active | Drug: PH-762 | More Info |
| MEM-288 Oncolytic Virus Alone and in Combination With Standard of Care Therapy in Advanced Solid Tumors | This is a multipart, open-label, multi-center dose escalation, dose expansion phase I clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), and preliminary efficacy of MEM-288 in patients with advanced solid tumors. Eligible subj... | Phase 1 | Recruiting | Biological: MEM-288 Intratumoral Injection Biological: Nivolumab Drug: Docetaxel | More Info |
| Personalised Immunotherapy Platform | This is a non-interventional study to prospectively test a suite of predictive biomarker models of immunotherapy resistance in patients with melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers and other solid tumours. The study will evaluate the documentation, processes, accuracy and utility of the predictive bioma... | Recruiting | Other: Predictive model | More Info | |
| Exercise to Boost Response to Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy | The purpose of this pilot study will be to provide i) information on feasibility implementing an exercise intervention trial among patients with cutaneous cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC), and Merkel cell carcinoma, scheduled to receive checkpoint blockade immunotherapy,... | Active | Other: Exercise Test | More Info | |
| Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Treating Patients With Malignancies With BK and/or JC Virus | This phase II trial studies how well donor cytotoxic T lymphocytes work in treating patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are made from donated blood cells that are grown in the laboratory and are designed to kill viruses that can cause infections in transplant... | Phase 2 | Recruiting | Biological: Allogeneic BK-specific Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis | More Info |
| Adoptive Transfer of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Advanced Solid Cancers | This is a Phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy of a non-myeloablative lymphodepleting preparative regimen followed by infusion of autologous TIL and high-dose aldesleukin in patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer associated with one of the following cancer types: 1.) gastr... | Phase 2 | Recruiting | Biological: Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) Drug: Fludarabine + Cyclophosphamide combination | More Info |
| IFx-Hu2.0 As An Adjunctive Therapy To Pembrolizumab In Advanced Or Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) | This Phase 1, multicenter, open-label trial will assess the safety and feasibility of IFx-Hu2.0 as adjunctive therapy to pembrolizumab in adult patients (≥18 years) with non-cutaneous Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Nine subjects will receive IFx-Hu2.0 as a visceral lesion injection in a single lesion follow... | Phase 1 | Recruiting | Drug: IFx-Hu2.0 Drug: Pembrolizumab | More Info |
| Neoadjuvant Merkel Cell Carcinoma Therapy (Tx) With the PD-1 Inhibitor Cemiplimab | The study is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, non-comparative phase II trial that investigates the efficacy of neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 antibody Cemiplimab treatment in patients with clinical stage I or II Merkel cell carcinoma who have have undergone primary tumour excision and are pend... | Phase 2 | Not yet recruiting | Drug: Cemiplimab 350 mg i.v. on day 1 of every 21 days cycle for 2 cycles Drug: Placebo NaCl 0.9% solution i.v. on day 1 of every 21 days cycle for 2 cycles. | More Info |