Merkel cell carcinoma: analysis of 13 patients

Aim. The aim of our paper is to present a retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestations, and the methods and results of treatment of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) basing upon our own clinical material. Material and methods. We present 13 patients with Merkel cell carcinoma treated at The Cracow Branch of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology between the years 1995 and 2009 - 10 women and 3 men with a median age 74 years. The clinical stages were assessed to be I in 9 cases I I in 3 cases and III in one case. In case of 7 patients the primary tumor was localized on the skin of the extremities, in another 4 patients it was localised on the scalp and in 2 cases on the skin of the buttocks. All patients were treated with surgery, while in 6 cases we administered postoperative radiotherapy. Results. Five- year disease free survival was observed in 4 patients (30.8%), 5 patients died due to metastases and 4 died due to other causes but free of symptoms of cancer. Conclusions. The treatment of choice in patients with MCC is wide local excision of the primary tumor with a 2 - 3 cm margin and removal of suspicious or metastatic lymph nodes. If the surgical margins are positive (macroscopically or microscopically) or the tumor is larger than 2 cm in diameter, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy to the tumor bed should be considered. (authors)