What Is Merkel Cell Carcinoma?

Merkel cell carcinoma, also called neuroendocrine cancer of the skin, is a rare type of disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found on or just beneath the skin and in hair follicles. Merkel cell carcinoma usually appears as firm, painless, shiny lumps of skin. These lumps or tumors can be red, pink, or blue in color and vary in size from less than a quarter of an inch to more than two inches. Merkel cell carcinoma is usually found on the sun-exposed areas of the head, neck, arms, and legs. This type of cancer occurs mostly in whites between 60 and 80 years of age, but it can occur in people of other races and ages as well.

Merkel cell carcinoma grows rapidly and often metastasizes (spreads) to other parts of the body. Even relatively small tumors are capable of metastasizing. When the disease spreads, it tends to spread to the regional (nearby) lymph nodes and may also spread to the liver, bone, lungs, and brain. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are found throughout the body. They produce and store infection-fighting cells.

Merkel cell carcinoma is very sensitive to radiation therapy, and thus, most patients will benefit from adjuvant radiation to the primary tumor site following resection, as well as to the regional lymph node basin in the event that the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is positive for metastasis. Merkel cell carcinoma treatment depends on the stage of the disease. Learn more about staging for Merkel cell carcinoma.

Stanford expertise in Merkel cell carcinoma

The multispecialty Merkel Cell Carcinoma Program at Stanford provides a comprehensive treatment approach for patients with MCC and is investigating novel targeted-and immunotherapies to treat patients with advanced disease.

For this reason, the Stanford Merkel Cell Carcinoma Program offers a multispecialty approach to the treatment of MCC, utilizing the expertise of Stanford surgeons for wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy staging.