PURPOSE: To determine the role of postoperative radiation therapy in the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty patients with MCC of the skin were treated with curative intent at the Queensland Radium Institute between 1981 and 1991. Fifty-one patients (63.7%) were referred after initial biopsy for further treatment and 29 patients (36.3%) were referred with locally recurrent disease following primary surgery elsewhere. Thirteen patients (16.3%) presented with nodal disease without a clinically definable primary skin lesion. RESULTS: Of the 80 patients, 38 had undergone surgery (S) alone, 34 surgery plus radiotherapy (S + RT), 7 RT after incomplete S, and 1 patient had chemotherapy (CT) plus RT. Overall survival at 36 months for all patients was 68%. All of the 38 patients treated with S alone relapsed. The median time to recurrence was 5.5 months. Ten of the 34 patients treated with S + RT relapsed. The median time to recurrence was 16.5 months. Of the 80 patients, 55 have relapsed after primary treatment, 25 have developed systemic metastases, and 26 patients have died as a direct result of MCC. CONCLUSION: Our large series confirms earlier reports from this Institute and highlights the importance of S + RT over S alone in preventing local recurrence of this highly malignant skin cancer.
PURPOSE: To determine the role of postoperative radiation therapy in the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty patients with MCC of the skin were treated with curative intent at the Queensland Radium Institute between 1981 and 1991. Fifty-one patients (63.7%) were referred after initial biopsy for further treatment and 29 patients (36.3%) were referred with locally recurrent disease following primary surgery elsewhere. Thirteen patients (16.3%) presented with nodal disease without a clinically definable primary skin lesion. RESULTS: Of the 80 patients, 38 had undergone surgery (S) alone, 34 surgery plus radiotherapy (S + RT), 7 RT after incomplete S, and 1 patient had chemotherapy (CT) plus RT. Overall survival at 36 months for all patients was 68%. All of the 38 patients treated with S alone relapsed. The median time to recurrence was 5.5 months. Ten of the 34 patients treated with S + RT relapsed. The median time to recurrence was 16.5 months. Of the 80 patients, 55 have relapsed after primary treatment, 25 have developed systemic metastases, and 26 patients have died as a direct result of MCC. CONCLUSION: Our large series confirms earlier reports from this Institute and highlights the importance of S + RT over S alone in preventing local recurrence of this highly malignant skin cancer.
Authors: Kathrin Gessner; Gunnar Wichmann; Andreas Boehm; Anett Reiche; Julia Bertolini; Johannes Brus; Ina Sterker; Stefan Dietzsch; Andreas Dietz Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2010-08-27 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Matthew C Perez; Felipe R de Pinho; Amanda Holstein; Daniel E Oliver; Syeda M H Naqvi; Youngchul Kim; Jane L Messina; Erin Burke; Ricardo J Gonzalez; Amod A Sarnaik; C Wayne Cruse; Evan J Wuthrick; Louis B Harrison; Vernon K Sondak; Jonathan S Zager Journal: Ann Surg Oncol Date: 2018-08-02 Impact factor: 5.344
Authors: Patricia Tai; Edward Yu; Avi Assouline; Ji Dong Lian; Kurian Joseph; Thomas Miale; Claude Krzisch Journal: Med Oncol Date: 2009-12-01 Impact factor: 3.064