Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38283504›Full record

ArticleCureus2023

The Evaluation and Treatment of Merkel Cell Carcinoma and Brain Metastasis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Petr Gaburak, Taylor A Brown, Alexander J Pursel, Luis Cardenas Contreras, Michael Chun

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

5 authors.

Petr GaburakDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Spokane, USA.
Taylor A BrownCollege of Medicine, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Spokane, USA.
Alexander J PurselCollege of Medicine, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Spokane, USA.
Luis Cardenas ContrerasCollege of Medicine, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Spokane, USA.
Michael ChunDepartment of Neurology, The Everett Clinic, Everett, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor associated with high mortality if metastases are identified. Currently, there is no standardized nor curative treatment for neurometastatic MCC. In this study, we have reviewed the more recent cases and the use of immunotherapy in a population. In this case report and review, we present a case of MCC with brain metastasis currently undergoing treatment with immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) resulting in an initial complete response with a progression-free survival time of five months. We also review the past reported literature and the 11 newly presented cases on their clinical presentation of neurometastatic MCC, immunohistochemical markers, and treatment outcomes. In summary, immunotherapy initially showed a promising response with the complete elimination of MCC brain metastasis. The early aggressive treatment of pembrolizumab with stereotactic radiosurgery should be considered as this treatment plan has shown improved therapeutic effects compared to the standard chemoradiation therapy. Further investigations are needed to determine the efficacy and response of immunotherapy use for neurometastatic MCC.

Indexed as

brain metastasischemoradiationimmunotherapymerkel cell carcinomaneurometastaticoncology

Identifiers

PMID38283504
PMCPMC10822684

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.