Merkel cell cancer

Merkel cellcancer, also called Merkel cell carcinoma or neuroendocrine cancer or trabecular cancer, is a rare and highly aggressive cancerwhere malignantcancer cells develop on or just beneath the skinand in hair follicles. One third to one half of all patients with Merkel cell cancer eventually die of the disease.

It occurs most often on the face, head, and neck. It usually appears as firm, painless, nodules, or tumors. These red, pink, or blue tumors vary in size from 5mm (less than a quarter of an inch) to more than 5cm (2 inches). About half of all Merkel cell cancers occur on the sun-exposed areas of the head and neck, while one-third begin on the legs, and 15% occur on the arms. The cancer may also begin on other parts of the body, such as the trunk.

From initial onset, Merkel cell cancer metastasizesquickly and spreads to other parts of the body, tending towards the regional lymph nodes. The tumor tends to invade underlying subcutaneous fat, fascia, and muscle. It can also metastasize to the liver, lungs, brainor bones.

Epidemiology

This type of cancer occurs mostly in -- though not restricted to -- whitesbetween 60 and 80 years of age, affecting males and females equally. Worldwide, only a little over 600 cases have been reported (approximately 1 in 10,000,000 people). Merkel cell cancer can be mistaken for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, lymphoma, or small cell carcinomaof the skin. Researchers believe that exposure to sunlightor ultraviolet lightmay increase a person?s risk of this disease.

Treatment

Because Merkel cell cancer is uncommon and is difficult to diagnose, patients may want a second opinion about the diagnosis and treatment plan before starting treatment. However, early diagnosis and treatment of Merkel cell cancer are important factors in decreasing the chance of its spread. It is difficult to cure once it has spread.

Surgery

Surgeryis the usual treatment for Merkel cell cancer. The tumoris removed along with a border of healthy tissue surrounding it. Nearby, or regional, lymph nodesare often removed because they may contain cancer cells. Sometimes the doctor does a sentinel lymph node biopsy. In this procedure, the doctor injects a dye or radioactive substance near the tumor. This material flows into the first lymph nodes where cancer is likely to spread (the sentinel nodes). These nodes are then removed and checked for cancer cells.

Radiation & Chemotherapy

Merkel cell cancer that has metastasized may respond to treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation. This therapy usually does not cure the disease, but can be effective in shrinking the tumor if the tumor is too large to be removed, or is located in a place where removal would be difficult or dangerous. After surgery, radiation therapy may be directed at the site of the surgery and to nearby lymph nodes to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

See also

• Cancer
• Carcinogenesis

External links

• In-depth medical article on EMedicine
• National Cancer Institute listing for Merkel cell cancer

Group for Merkel Cell Cancer discussion--The MCC Experience

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkel+cell+cancer Wikipedia article Merkel cell cancer.