Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39674924›Full record

ArticleJournal of surgical oncology2025

De-Escalating Surgery in Merkel Cell Carcinoma With Clinical Nodal Disease.

Neha Shafique, Emily Ertmann, Gabriella N Tortorello, Cimarron E Sharon, Giorgos C Karakousis, John T Miura

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of surgical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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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

6 authors.

Neha ShafiqueDepartment of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Emily ErtmannDepartment of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Gabriella N TortorelloDepartment of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1836-6612
Cimarron E SharonDepartment of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8398-3297
Giorgos C KarakousisDepartment of Surgery, Division of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
John T MiuraDepartment of Surgery, Division of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Funding

SURGICAL ONCOLOGY RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM AT PENNT32CA251063 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Ronald P. Dematteo · 2020 to 2026
$2.6M
NCI NIH HHS T32 CA251063Neha Shafique was supported by the T32 grant (#CA251063: Surgical Oncology Research Training Program at PENN) during this project.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a radiosensitive aggressive skin cancer that spreads via the lymphatics. There is uncertainty regarding the optimal management of the nodal basin for patients with MCC with clinically positive nodes. We study the efficacy of single node excision (SNE) as an alternative to a therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND) in patients with limited nodal disease.

methodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with MCC with clinical nodal disease who underwent resection in the form of either SNE or TLND using the National Cancer Database. The association between type of surgery and overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards modeling.

results1835 patients met all inclusion criteria with 281 patients undergoing SNE and the remainder undergoing TLND. Patients receiving SNE and TLND were equally likely to receive radiation to the nodal basin (SNE 44.5% vs. TLND 48.5%, p = 0.22). There was no difference in 5-year OS between patients who received SNE versus TLND (SNE 43.9% vs. TLND 44.7%, p = 0.36). This persisted in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model in which receipt of SNE remained not significantly associated with survival after adjusting for clinical and treatment factors including receipt of radiation (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.17, 95% CI 0.96-1.42, p = 0.11). In patients undergoing SNE with radiation, 5-year OS was 54.4% (95% CI 44.1-63.6).

conclusionsTLND is not associated with a survival advantage over SNE. Further prospective study into patterns of recurrence and safety of SNE is needed.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Merkel CellLymph Node ExcisionLymph NodesSkin NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSurvival Ratede‐escalating surgeryMerkel cell carcinomanodal surgerysingle node excision

Identifiers

PMID39674924
PMCPMC12131117

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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.