Sex Differences in Overall Survival and the Effect of Radiotherapy in Merkel Cell Carcinoma-A Retrospective Analysis of a Swedish Cohort

Overview

Journal Cancers (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Oncology

Date 2021 Jan 15

PMID 33445741

Citations 7

Authors

Hannah Bjorn Andtback

Viveca Bjornhagen-Safwenberg

Hao Shi

Weng-Onn Lui

Giuseppe V Masucci

Lisa Villabona

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive skin cancer where Merkel cell Polyomavirus (MCPyV) contributes to the pathogenesis. In an adjuvant setting, radiotherapy (RT) is believed to give a survival benefit. The prognostic impact of sex related to MCPyV-status and adjuvant RT were analyzed in patients referred to Karolinska University Hospital. Data were collected from 113 patients' hospital records and MCPyV analyses were made in 54 patients (48%). We found a significantly better overall survival (OS) for women compared to men and a significant difference in OS in patients receiving adjuvant RT. Furthermore, we found that men with virus negative MCC have an increased risk for earlier death (HR 3.6). This indicates that MCPyV positive and negative MCC act as two different diseases, and it might be due to different mechanism in the immune response between male and female patients. This could have significance in tailoring treatment and follow-up in MCC patients in the future.

Citing Articles

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