ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2018
Resection Margins in Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Is a 1-cm Margin Wide Enough?
Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Japanese Dermatological Association Guidelines: Clinical Questions of Guidelines for Merkel Cell Carcinoma 2025.The Journal of dermatology · 2025Guideline
- Editorial: The Critical Role of Surgery for Local Disease Control and Nodal Assessment in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Article
- Importance of Surgical Margins in Patients with Early-Stage Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Dermatology and therapy · 2025Article
- Double Primary Cancers of Earlobe Merkel Cell Carcinoma and Lung Adenocarcinoma.Journal of audiology & otology · 2024Article
- Therapeutic Approaches for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer: Standard of Care and Emerging Modalities.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Delayed time to radiation and overall survival in Merkel cell carcinoma.Journal of surgical oncology · 2023Article
- Primary tumor site for localized Merkel cell carcinoma drives different management strategies without impacting oncologic outcomes.Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology · 2023Article
- Merkel cell carcinoma: a forty-year experience at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.BMC cancer · 2023Article
- Best practices in surgical and nonsurgical management of head and neck Merkel cell carcinoma: An update.Molecular carcinogenesis · 2023Article
- Review
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Current State of Treatment and Future Directions.Cancers · 2021Review
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Biomedicines · 2021Review
- Current concepts and approaches to merkel cell carcinoma.Archives of dermatological research · 2021Review
- How we treat Merkel cell carcinoma: within and beyond current guidelines.Future oncology (London, England) · 2021Article
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma: New Trends.Cancers · 2021Review
- Narrow excision margins are appropriate for Merkel cell carcinoma when combined with adjuvant radiation: Analysis of 188 cases of localized disease and proposed management algorithm.Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2021Article
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma: An Immunotherapy Fairy-Tale?Frontiers in oncology · 2021Review
- Patterns of Metastasis in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Annals of surgical oncology · 2021Article
- Review
- Merkel cell carcinoma: A series of seven cases.Archives of plastic surgery · 2019Article
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Abstract
backgroundGuidelines regarding specific resection margins for primary Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) are not well established. The current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend 1- to 2-cm resection margins. This study aimed to determine the impact of margin width on local recurrence (LR), disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), and type of wound closure.
methodsAll patients who underwent resection of primary MCC at a single institution from 2000 to 2015 were reviewed. Patient demographics, clinicopathologic characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were reviewed.
resultsA total of 240 patients underwent resection of primary MCC with resection margin width identified in the operative report. The median age was 76 years, and 65.8% of the patients were men. Of the 240 patients, 85 (35.4%) had head and neck primaries, 140 (58.3%) had extremity primaries, and 15 (6.3%) had trunk primaries. In terms of margins, 69 patients (28.8%) had a margin of 1 cm, 36 patients (15%) had a margin of 1.1-1.9 cm, and 135 patients (56.2%) had a margin of 2 cm or more. The median follow-up period was 21 months. The LR rate was 2.9% for a margin of 1 cm, 2.8% for a margin of 1.1-1.9 cm, and 5.2% for a margin of 2 cm or more (p = 0.80). The 5-year OS was 63.6% for a margin of 1 cm, 59.7% for a margin of 1.1-1.9, and 70.7% for a margin of 2 cm or more (p = 0.66). The 5-year DSS was 80.3% for a margin of 1 cm, 66.2% for a margin of 1.1-1.9 cm, and 91.8% for a margin of 2 cm or more (p = 0.28). For wound closure, 43.5, 50, and 65.9% of the patients respectively required a flap or graft with a margin of 1, 1.1-1.9, and 2 cm or more (p = 0.006).
conclusionsA 1-cm resection margins did not increase the risk of LR. Margin width did not make a significant difference in DSS or OS. Larger resection margins increase the need for a graft or flap closure.
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