Chemotherapy for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. Review of the M.D. Anderson Hospital's experience.

Thirteen patients with regional or distant metastases from Merkel cell carcinoma were treated with combination chemotherapy. Three patients had a complete response to therapy. In two patients with nodal disease the duration of response was 10+ and 4+ years. In addition, three patients had a partial response, and six patients had minor responses. Chemotherapy using a combination of drugs that are active against small cell carcinoma of the lung is recommended in the treatment of unresectable disease in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma; it may produce prolonged responses. While tumor regressions as a result of chemotherapy were often dramatic, once the disease progressed, the course of the disease often moved rapidly downhill and proved to be fatal.