Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumour of the skin; rare cases have been reported within the lymph nodes without a primary site. The detection of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) DNA, integrated within the genome of MCC, suggests its role for the onset of this tumour. We report a case of MCC in an inguinal lymph node of a patient with Von Willebrand disease (VWD), who underwent multiple blood transfusions following haemorrhoidectomy. The diagnosis was performed on the bases of morphology and immunohistochemistry; genomic sequences of LT and VP1 regions of MCPyV were amplified from MCC using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. High levels of MCPyV antibodies were detected in the patient's serum by ELISA method. We discuss the role of MCPyV in the development of this tumour, the use of viral DNA detection for confirming the diagnosis of MCC in unusual sites and the possibility of MCPyV transmission from blood donors.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2014.02.007 | DOI Listing |
Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasias grade 3 (NEN G3) are rare tumors with poor prognosis and no established second-line therapy. The role of immune checkpoint blockade in these aggressive tumors remains unclear.
Methods: The phase II AVENEC study evaluated the effect of avelumab (AVE, 10 mg/kg IV Q2W) in 60 patients with well-differentiated high-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NET G3, N=22) or poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC, N=38) progressing after ≥ one prior chemotherapy (excluding Merkel cell and small-cell lung cancer).
NPJ Digit Med
January 2025
Mike Toth Head and Neck Cancer Research Center, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA.
Accurate prognostication guides optimal clinical management in skin cancer. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is the most aggressive form of skin cancer that often presents in advanced stages and is associated with poor survival rates. There are no personalized prognostic tools in use in MCC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Invest Dermatol
January 2025
Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States.
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and melanoma are important contributors to skin cancer mortality in the United States. We evaluated their epidemiology using US cancer registry data. During 2000-2021, 19,444 MCCs and 646,619 melanomas of the skin were diagnosed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancers (Basel)
December 2024
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit, Regional Melanoma Referral Center and Melanoma & Skin Cancer Unit, Santa Maria Annunziata Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) aims at identifying clinically occult nodal metastases. It is the standard staging procedure for patients with T1b to T4 primary cutaneous melanoma. Moreover, it is recommended whenever the risk of a positive SLNB is >5%, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Melanoma guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-2: Mechanobiology, Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany.
Targeting of diseased cells is one of the most urgently needed prerequisites for a next generation of potent pharmaceuticals. Different approaches pursued fail mainly due to a lack of specific surface markers. Developing an RNA-based methodology, we can now ensure precise cell targeting combined with selective expression of effector proteins for therapy, diagnostics or cell steering.
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