Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32405979›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2021

Patterns of Metastasis in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Yun Song, Feredun S Azari, Rebecca Tang, Adrienne B Shannon, John T Miura, Douglas L Fraker, Giorgos C Karakousis

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Survival outcomes in patients withFrontiers in oncology · 2024
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  17. m6A modification of mRNA in skin diseases.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Yun SongDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. yun.song@uphs.upenn.edu.
Feredun S AzariDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Rebecca TangDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Adrienne B ShannonDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
John T MiuraDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Douglas L FrakerDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Giorgos C KarakousisDepartment of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
University of Pennsylvania · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a cutaneous neuroendocrine malignancy with a propensity for regional and distant spread. Because of the relative infrequency of this disease, the patterns of metastasis in MCC are understudied.

methodsPatients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (8th edition) stage I-IV MCC treated at our institution were identified (1/1/2008-2/28/2018). The first site of metastasis was classified as regional [regional lymph node (LN) basin, in-transit] or distant. Distant metastasis-free (DMFS) and MCC-specific (MSS) survival were estimated.

resultsOf 133 patients, 64 (48%) had stage I, 13 (10%) stage II, 48 (36%) stage III, and 8 (6%) stage IV disease at presentation. The median follow-up time in patients who remained alive was 36 (interquartile range 20-66) months. Regional or distant metastases developed in 78 (59%) patients. The first site was regional in 87%, including 73% with isolated LN involvement, and distant in 13%. Thirty-seven (28%) patients eventually developed distant disease, which most commonly involved the abdominal viscera (51%) and distant LNs (46%) first. The lung (0%) and brain (3%) were rarely the first distant sites. Stage III MCC at presentation was significantly associated with worse DMFS (hazard ratio 4.87, P = 0.001) and stage IV disease with worse MSS (hazard ratio 6.30, P = 0.002).

conclusionsRegional LN metastasis is the most common first metastatic event in MCC, confirming the importance of nodal evaluation. Distant disease spread appears to have a predilection for certain sites. Understanding these patterns could help to guide surveillance strategies.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Merkel CellSkin NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm MetastasisNeoplasm StagingPositron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography

Identifiers

PMID32405979
PMCPMC7220648
OpenAlexW3024730531

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.