Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Update and Review

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive, and often fatal cutaneous malignancy that is not usually suspected at the time of biopsy. Because of its increasing incidence and the discovery of a possible viral association, interest in MCC has escalated. Recent effort has broadened our breadth of knowledge regarding MCC and developed instruments to improve data collection and future study. This article provides an update on current thinking about the Merkel cell and MCC.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Differences between Sun-Exposed and Non-Sun-Exposed Variants - A Clinical Analysis of 36 Cases

“…For this reason the diagnosis is rarely made clinically (a correct clinical diagnosis was made presumptively in only 1% of cases in a study) [9]. The clinical differential diagnosis includes most common lesions such as epidermal cyst, non-melanoma skin cancer, lymphoma and amelanotic melanoma [9,10,12]. We have observed two different clinical patterns in our patients.…”

Merkel cell carcinoma: literature review

“…The MCPyV large T antigen contains MCC tumor-specific mutations that withdraw its replication capability, however perpetuate its oncogenic functions, and the small t antigen encourages an environment propitious for carcinogenesis [17,18]. Immuno-suppression increases the relative risk of MCC especially with HIV, solid-organ transplant patients as well as autoimmune diseases [19][20][21][22]. Also patients with lymphoproliferative disorders as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) have an increased risk of MCC [23].Other cancers associated with MCC are skin squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma [24].…”

Prediction and Conservancy Analysis of Multiepitope Based Peptide Vaccine Against Merkel Cell Polyomavirus: An Immunoinformatics Approach

“…Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive lethal neuroectodermal malignancy arising from mechanoreceptor Merkel cells [3,6,11,14,15]. MCC was first described by Cyril Toker in 1972, who noted a colored painless solid nodule within five different areas of two older men, who later died as a result of this tumor, and three older women, yet the pathogenesis and etiology of MCC remains poorly understood [3,6].…”

“…MCC was first described by Cyril Toker in 1972, who noted a colored painless solid nodule within five different areas of two older men, who later died as a result of this tumor, and three older women, yet the pathogenesis and etiology of MCC remains poorly understood [3,6]. MCC is rare, but its incidence has tripled over the past two decades in the United States to 1500 cases per year and 2,500 new cases diagnosed in the E.U [11,14,16]. Epidemiological studies revealed that older, lighter-skinned, and immunosuppressed in dividuals, such as those infected with HIV and/or diagnosed with AIDS are more susceptible to infection [1,14,[17][18][19].…”

“…MCC is rare, but its incidence has tripled over the past two decades in the United States to 1500 cases per year and 2,500 new cases diagnosed in the E.U [11,14,16]. Epidemiological studies revealed that older, lighter-skinned, and immunosuppressed in dividuals, such as those infected with HIV and/or diagnosed with AIDS are more susceptible to infection [1,14,[17][18][19]. In 2008, a novel merkel cell polyomavirus was discovered and found to be integrated and associated with 80% of MCC…”