ArticleBMC cancer2023
Merkel cell carcinoma: a forty-year experience at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Article in BMC cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Local Recurrence Following Complete Surgical Excision of Primary Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Article
- Importance of Surgical Margins in Patients with Early-Stage Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Dermatology and therapy · 2025Article
- Localized Merkel cell carcinoma treatment considerations: a response to the forty-year experience at the Peter MacCallum cancer centre.BMC cancer · 2024Article
- The Evolving Treatment Landscape of Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Current treatment options in oncology · 2023Review
- Introducing Radiotherapy in Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma Patients with Limited Progression on Avelumab: An Effective Step against Primary and Secondary Immune Resistance?Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Article
- Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Dissected Parotid Lymph Nodes Containing Merkel Cell Carcinoma from an Unknown Primary Skin Site: 2 Case Reports.The American journal of case reports · 2023Review
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but highly aggressive neuroendocrine skin malignancy, with Australia having the highest reported incidence in the world. There is currently a lack of consensus regarding optimal management of this disease.
methodsThis was a retrospective audit conducted by reviewing existing medical records of MCC patients presenting to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (PMCC) between 1980 and 2018. The primary endpoint was locoregional recurrence. The secondary endpoints were distant recurrence, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).
resultsA total of 533 patients were identified. Locoregional recurrence occurring at one, two and 5 years was 24, 31 and 32%, respectively. The estimated 5-year OS and DFS were 46% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 41-51%) and 34% (95% CI 30-39%) respectively. Older age at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] per year = 1.07, 95% CI 1.06-1.07, p < 0.001), and larger primary tumour diameter (HR =1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.31, p = 0.019) were associated with worse OS on multivariable analysis. Positive or negative histopathological margin status was not associated with OS or DFS differences in patients treated with post-operative radiotherapy.
conclusionsIn our study, about a third of patients developed locoregional recurrence, distal recurrence or both, and there appears to be no change over the last four decades. If treated with adjuvant radiotherapy, there is no difference in OS or DFS with positive surgical margins. Findings should influence future guidelines.
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