Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive skin cancer, developing in fewer than 2,000 patients in the United States annually. The disease typically presents as a red-violet, painless bump on sun-exposed skin, and definitive treatment requires surgery to remove the cancer. Because recurrence is common, patients are routinely followed for three years after excision.
Recently, oncologists and dermatologists at Yale treated a patient who developed recurrence of Merkel cell carcinoma seven years after her initial diagnosis. Although 95% of recurrence occurs within the first three years, some cases may still recur after the time period for standard follow-up. In this case report, the authors emphasize the need for more data to understand how long to follow patients after surgical treatment. They assert that current guidelines could be strengthened with more research on late recurrence.
To learn more, read the article: “Case report: Metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma presenting seven years after loco-regional disease resection of primary tumor with interval in-transit and nodal metastases”
Rusheen J, Clune J, Ariyan S, et al. Case report: Metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma presenting seven years after loco-regional disease resection of primary tumor with interval in-transit and nodal metastases. Front Oncol. 2023;13:1217816. Published 2023 Jul 5. doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1217816