Background Quantitation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has utility in managing breast, colon, and prostate carcinomas. Objective We sought to determine whether a commercially available CTC assay ...provides prognostic information in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), insight into treatment responses, or both. Methods We analyzed CTCs in 52 specimens from 34 patients with MCC. Results The presence of CTCs correlated with extent of disease at blood draw ( P = .004). Among 15 patients with regional nodal disease, CTC-negative patients had 80% disease-specific survival at 2 years after the test, versus 29% for CTC-positive patients ( P = .015). Among the entire cohort, those without CTCs had 72% MCC-specific survival whereas CTC-positive patients had 25% survival (n = 34, median follow-up 19 months, P = .0003). Fifty seven percent of patients with MCC had a cytokeratin “dot” visible in 20% or more of CTCs, a feature that was absent among CTCs from other carcinomas (0 of 13 cases). Limitations CTC assay was performed at variable times after diagnosis and heterogeneity in extent of disease affects interpretability of the data. Conclusion CTC detection in MCC is feasible and appears to add prognostic information, particularly in patients with regional nodal disease. It may also assist clinical management in certain situations, including differentiating metastatic MCC cells from those of other carcinomas.
Background Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a mortality of 33%. Advanced disease at diagnosis is a poor prognostic factor, suggesting that earlier detection may improve ...outcome. No systematic analysis has been published to define the clinical features that are characteristic of MCC. Objective We sought to define the clinical characteristics present at diagnosis to identify features that may aid clinicians in recognizing MCC. Methods We conducted a cohort study of 195 patients given the diagnosis of MCC between 1980 and 2007. Data were collected prospectively in the majority of cases, and medical records were reviewed. Results An important finding was that 88% of MCCs were asymptomatic (nontender) despite rapid growth in the prior 3 months (63% of lesions) and being red or pink (56%). A majority of MCC lesions (56%) were presumed at biopsy to be benign, with a cyst/acneiform lesion being the single most common diagnosis (32%) given. The median delay from lesion appearance to biopsy was 3 months (range 1-54 months), and median tumor diameter was 1.8 cm. Similar to earlier studies, 81% of primary MCCs occurred on ultraviolet-exposed sites, and our cohort was elderly (90% >50 years), predominantly white (98%), and often profoundly immune suppressed (7.8%). An additional novel finding was that chronic lymphocytic leukemia was more than 30-fold overrepresented among patients with MCC. Limitations The study was limited to patients seen at a tertiary care center. Complete clinical data could not be obtained on all patients. This study could not assess the specificity of the clinical characteristics of MCC. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study is the first to define clinical features that may serve as clues in the diagnosis of MCC. The most significant features can be summarized in an acronym: AEIOU ( a symptomatic/lack of tenderness, e xpanding rapidly, i mmune suppression, o lder than 50 years, and u ltraviolet-exposed site on a person with fair skin). In our series, 89% of primary MCCs had 3 or more of these findings. Although MCC is uncommon, when present in combination, these features may indicate a concerning process that would warrant biopsy. In particular, a lesion that is red and expanding rapidly yet asymptomatic should be of concern.
Background The incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is increasing. Although most patients achieve complete remission with surgical treatment, those with advanced disease have a poor ...prognosis. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) is responsible for the staging criteria for all cancers. For the past 20 years, the AJCC cancer staging manual has grouped all nonmelanoma skin cancers, including cSCC, together for the purposes of staging. However, based on new evidence, the AJCC has determined that cSCC should have a separate staging system in the 7th edition AJCC staging manual. Objective We sought to present the rationale for and characteristics of the new AJCC staging system specific to cSCC tumor characteristics (T). Methods The Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Task Force of AJCC reviewed relevant data and reached expert consensus in creating the 7th edition AJCC staging system for cSCC. Emphasis was placed on prospectively accumulated data and multivariate analyses. Concordance with head and neck cancer staging system was also achieved. Results A new AJCC cSCC T classification is presented. The T classification is determined by tumor diameter, invasion into cranial bone, and high-risk features, including anatomic location, tumor thickness and level, differentiation, and perineural invasion. Limitations The data available for analysis are still suboptimal, with limited prospective outcomes trials and few multivariate analyses. Conclusions The new AJCC staging system for cSCC incorporates tumor-specific (T) staging features and will encourage coordinated, consistent collection of data that will be the basis of improved prognostic systems in the future.
Background The effects of primary tumor size on nodal involvement and of number of involved nodes on survival have not, to our knowledge, been examined in a national database of Merkel cell carcinoma ...(MCC). Objective We sought to analyze a retrospective cohort of patients with MCC from the largest US national database to assess the relationships between these clinical parameters and survival. Methods A total of 8044 MCC cases in the National Cancer Data Base were analyzed. Results There was a 14% risk of regional nodal involvement for 0.5-cm tumors that increased to 25% for 1.7-cm (median-sized) tumors and to more than 36% for tumors 6 cm or larger. The number of involved nodes was strongly predictive of survival (0 nodes, 76% 5-year relative survival; 1 node, 50%; 2 nodes, 47%; 3-5 nodes, 42%; and ≥6 nodes, 24%; P < .0001 for trend). Younger and/or male patients were more likely to undergo pathological nodal evaluation. Limitations The National Cancer Data Base does not capture disease-specific survival. Hence, relative survival was calculated by comparing overall survival with age- and sex-matched US population data. Conclusion Pathologic nodal evaluation should be considered even for patients with small primary MCC tumors. The number of involved nodes is strongly predictive of survival and may help improve prognostic accuracy and management.
Abstract Purpose Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and often aggressive skin cancer. Typically, surgery is the primary treatment. Postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) is often recommended to ...improve local control. It is unclear whether PORT is indicated in patients with favorable Stage IA head and neck (HN) MCC. Methods and materials We conducted a retrospective analysis of 46 low-risk HN MCC cases treated between 2006 and 2015. Inclusion criteria were defined as a primary tumor size of ≤ 2 cm, negative pathological margins, negative sentinel lymph node biopsy, and no immunosuppression. Local recurrence (LR) was defined as tumor recurrence within 2 cm of the primary surgical bed and estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Omission of PORT was offered to all 46 patients, of which 23 patients received PORT and 23 did not. No patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. There were no significant differences in surgical margins, tumor size, depth, lympho-vascular invasion status, or demographics between the two patient groups. Median follow-up for all patients was 3.7 years. Six of the 23 patients who did not receive PORT developed an LR. Compared to the group that received PORT, there was a significantly higher risk of LR in the group treated without PORT (26% vs. 0%, P = .02). Median time to LR was 11 months. All local failures were effectively salvaged. There was no difference in MCC-specific and overall survival between the 2 groups. Conclusions For patients with HN MCC, omission of PORT was associated with a significantly higher risk of local recurrence even among those patients with the lowest-risk tumors (i.e., Stage IA without immune suppression). Thus, it is important to weigh the benefits of PORT against the side effect profile on a case-specific basis for each patient.
In Regard to Barker Goff, Peter H.; Schaub, Stephanie K.; Cook, Maclean M. ...
Advances in radiation oncology,
05/2021, Letnik:
6, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Background The management of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) has been complicated by a lack of detailed prognostic data and by the presence of conflicting staging systems. Objective We sought to ...determine the prognostic significance of tumor size, clinical versus pathologic nodal evaluation, and extent of disease at presentation and thereby derive the first consensus staging/prognostic system for MCC. Methods A total of 5823 prospectively enrolled MCC cases from the National Cancer Data Base had follow-up data (median 64 months) and were used for prognostic analyses. Results At 5 years, overall survival was 40% and relative survival (compared with age- and sex-matched population data) was 54%. Among all MCC cases, 66% presented with local, 27% with nodal, and 7% with distant metastatic disease. For cases presenting with local disease only, smaller tumor size was associated with better survival (stage I, ≤2 cm, 66% relative survival at 5 years; stage II, >2 cm, 51%; P < .0001). Patients with clinically local-only disease and pathologically proven negative nodes had better outcome (76% at 5 years) than those who only underwent clinical nodal evaluation (59%, P < .0001). Limitations The National Cancer Data Base does not capture disease-specific survival. Overall survival for patients with MCC was therefore used to calculate relative survival based on matched population data. Conclusion Although the majority (68%) of patients with MCC in this nationwide cohort did not undergo pathologic nodal evaluation, this procedure may be indicated in many cases as it improves prognostic accuracy and has important treatment implications for those found to have microscopic nodal involvement.
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a skin cancer with 30% mortality and an incidence that has tripled in the past 15 years. There is agreement that surgical excision with negative margins is an ...appropriate therapeutic first step and that sentinel lymph node biopsy is a powerful prognostic indicator. After excision of detectable cancer, optimal adjuvant therapy is not well established. A role for adjuvant radiotherapy is increasingly supported by observational data. These data suggest that a regimen of surgery plus adjuvant radiotherapy is associated with both a lower loco-regional recurrence rate and longer overall survival when compared with surgery alone. In contrast, a role for adjuvant chemotherapy is not well supported. The rationale for chemotherapy in this disease is based on small-cell lung cancer, a more common neuroendocrine tumor for which chemotherapy is the primary treatment modality. Several issues call into question the routine use of adjuvant chemotherapy in MCC: lack of evidence for improved survival; the associated morbidity and mortality; important differences between small-cell lung cancer and MCC; and rapid development of resistance to chemotherapy. Importantly, chemotherapy suppresses immune function that plays an unusually large role in defending the host from the development and progression of MCC. Taken together, these arguments suggest that adjuvant radiation may be indicated for many MCC patients while adjuvant chemotherapy should largely be restricted to clinical trials.
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