AI Article Synopsis
- Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer that has ties to the immune system.
- A case study showed that treatment with the drug avelumab led to a complete removal of cancer in a localized MCC before surgery.
- As MCC cases increase, there is a need for clinical trials to assess the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy for patients where surgery might be an option.
Article Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine skin malignancy. We report here a case of localized MCC achieving pathologic complete response upon treatment with avelumab in the neoadjuvant setting. Preclinical and clinical studies have revealed a close relationship between MCC and the immune system, thus supporting a role for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in MCC. This neoadjuvant use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors can avoid potentially disfiguring surgery in MCC. As the incidence of MCC is rising, clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in resectable disease.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2019.06.031 | DOI Listing |
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