Evaluation and Management of Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, but aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine neoplasm that can be difficult to diagnose due to the absence of many distinctive clinical features. It is often confused with other skin tumors, benign and malignant. Over 50 percent of Merkel cell carcinomas occur on the head and neck in people over the age of 50, especially in areas of actinically damaged skin. Local and distant metastases occur in many patients, and the recurrence rate is high. The mortality rate rivals that of malignant melanoma. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are key to preventing metastasis and death.