Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42389872›Full record

ArticleThe American surgeon2026

Complete Response of Merkel Cell Carcinoma to Immunotherapy and Single-Fraction Radiotherapy Following Severe COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report and Review of Immune Mechanism.

Aubrey C Swilling, Jessica Caraway, Thomas M Irwin, Trevor J McCracken, W Spence Bodenhamer, Christopher E Lominska, David Akhavan, Gary C Doolittle, Luke V Selby

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The American surgeon, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Aubrey C SwillingDepartment of Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2649-4753
Jessica CarawayUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
Thomas M IrwinUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
Trevor J McCrackenUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
W Spence BodenhamerUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
Christopher E LominskaUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
David AkhavanUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
Gary C DoolittleUniversity of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS, USA.
Luke V SelbyDepartment of Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.

Funding

University of Kansas Cancer Center Paul Calabresi K12 Career Development Award for Clinical OncologyK12CA279868 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Ronald Chen · 2023 to 2026
$1.7M
NCI NIH HHS K12 CA279868
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine form of skin cancer. This case report describes a 70-year-old Hispanic male with stage IIA MCC of the upper back which rapidly progressed during hospitalization for severe COVID-19 infection requiring ventilatory support. After resolution of his severe acute illness, he received one dose of anti-PD-1 therapy and single-fraction radiotherapy to his primary lesion for local control. His tumor then underwent a rapid regression and he completed 17 cycles of immunotherapy with a complete clinical and radiologic response sustained more than 4 years. This case illustrates a possible synergistic effect of radiation therapy and immune checkpoint inhibition after rebounding immune-system hyperactivation from infection with COVID-19.

Indexed as

immunotherapyMerkel cell carcinomaradiation

Identifiers

PMID42389872
PMCPMC13614445

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.