Merkel Cell Carcinoma: An Immunotherapy Fairy-Tale?

Overview

Journal Front Oncol

Specialty Oncology

Date 2021 Oct 11

PMID 34631574

Citations 10

Authors

Enrica Teresa Tanda

Agostina Lagodin DAmato

Giovanni Rossi

Elena Croce

Andrea Boutros

Federica Cecchi

Francesco Spagnolo

Paola Queirolo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive, neuroendocrine cutaneous tumor. The incidence of MCC is growing worldwide, and the disease-related mortality is about three-fold higher than melanoma. Since a few years ago, very little has been known about this disease, and chemotherapy has been the standard of care. Nowadays, new discoveries about the pathophysiology of this neoplasm and the introduction of immunotherapy allowed to completely rewrite the history of these patients. In this review, we provide a summary of the most important changes in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma, with a focus on immunotherapy and a landscape of future treatment strategies.

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