References

• Agelli M, Clegg LX. Epidemiology of primary Merkel cell carcinoma in the United States. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2003;49:832-41.
• National Cancer Institute epidemiologic study of 1,034 patients with MCC that found 1) a higher incidence of MCC in whites, males and patients older than 65 years, 2) that roughly half of all cases were localized, 3) better survival was associated with limb localization, early stage disease, younger age and female sex. This study does not contain data on what treatments patients received.
• Mortier L, Mirabel X, Fournier C, Piette F, Lartigau E. Radiotherapy alone for primary Merkel cell carcinoma. Archives of Dermatology 2003;139:1587-1590.
• French study of stage I MCC that found no difference in overall survival in treatment with radiation therapy alone (9 patients) compared with surgery and radiation therapy (17 patients).
• Longo MI, Nghiem P. Merkel cell carcinoma treatment with radiation: a good case despite no prospective studies. Archives of Dermatology 2003;139:1641-1643.
• Editorial that accompanied Mortier, et al paper discussing the importance of adjuvant radiation therapy and a proposed algorithm for MCC treatment.
• Poulsen M, Rischin D, Walpole E, Harvey J, Mackintosh J, Ainslie J, Hamilton C, Keller J, Tripcony L. ­High-risk Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin treated with synchronous carboplatin/etoposide and radiation: a trans-tasman Radiation Oncology Group study TROG 96:07. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2003;21:4371-4376.
• Australian phase II study of 53 patients with stage I and II MCC treated with both chemotherapy (carboplatin/etoposide) and radiation therapy. This study showed 76% overall survival at 3 years, which was roughly similar, but perhaps better, than expected from previous studies. This study was not randomized nor controlled.
• Engles EA, Frish M, Goedert JJ, Biggar RJ, Miller RW. Merkel cell carcinomal and HIV infection. Lancet 2002;359:497-498.
• National Cancer Institute study that found that immune suppression from HIV increased MCC risk by roughly 8-fold.
• Goessling W, McKee PH, Mayer RJ. Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2002;20:588-598.
• Comprehensive review of MCC based on the oncology literature.
• Nghiem P, McKee PH, Haynes HA. Merkel cell (cutaneous neuroendocrine) carcinoma, in Sober AJ, Haluska FG (ed): American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology: Skin Cancer. Hamilton, Ontario, BC Decker Inc, 2001, pp 127-141.
• Comprehensive chapter on MCC in a multiauthored atlas of skin cancer.
• Allen PJ, Zhang Z-F, Coit DG. Surgical management of Merkel cell carcinoma. Annals of Surgery 1999;229:97-105.
• Study of 102 patients from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that concluded that 1) tumor size at presentation was an independent predictor of survival for stage I disease, 2) the lymph nodes were the most common site of first recurrence, and 3) elective lymph node dissection decreased the rate of recurrence, but was not associated with improved overall survival.
• Perrot RE, Glass FI, Reintgen DS, Fenske NA. Reassessing the role of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymphadenectomy in the management of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2003;49:567-588.
• Reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Dermatology.
• Penn I, First MR. Merkel cell carcinoma in organ recipients: report of 41 cases Transplantation.1999;68:1717-21.
• University of Cincinnati study that conlcuded that organ transplant patients, on drugs that suppress the immune system, have a roughly 10-fold higher risk of developing MCC, which proved to be more aggressive in this patient population.
• Allen PJ, Bowne WB, Jaques DP, Brennan MF, Busam K, Coit DG. Merkel cell carcinoma: prognosis and treatment of patients from a single institution. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005;23:2300-09.
• Study of 251 patients from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that concluded that 1) stage at presentation was an independent predictor of survival and 2) patients with pathologically negative lymph node involvement have an excellent prognosis.
• Alam, M. Management of Merkel cell carcinoma: what we know. Archives of Dermatology 2006;142:771-4.
• Overview of MCC treatment based on the literature.
• Gupta SG, Wang LC, Penas PF, Gellenthin M, Lee SJ, Nghiem P. Sentinal lymph node biopsy for evaluation and treatment of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma: the Dana-Farber experience and meta-analysis of the literature. Archives of Dermatology 2006;142:685-90.
• Series of MCC cases from Dana-Farber Cancer Institution and published cases found that sentinal lymph node biopsy improved staging accuracy and was thus important for prognosis and treatment.
• Lewis KG, Weinstock MA, Weaver AL, Otley CC. Adjuvant local irradiation for Merkel cell carcinoma. Archives of Dermatology 2006:142:693-700.
• Review of literature on MCC found that sugery plus local irradiation for treatment of MCC resulted in lower rates of local and regional recurrence compared to sugery alone.
• Wood GS, Bagheri M, Gharia M, et al. Nonmelanoma skin cancers: Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKenna WG, editors. Clinical Oncology. 3rd ed. London: Churchill Livingstone, 2004.
   
• Poulsen M. Merkel-cell carcinoma of the skin. Lancet Oncology 2004; 5(10):593–599.
   
• Camisa C, Weissmann A. Friedrich Sigmund Merkel. Part II. The cell. American Journal of Dermatopathology 1982; 4(6):527–535.
   
• Hodgson NC. Merkel cell carcinoma: Changing incidence trends. Journal of Surgical Oncology 2005; 89(1):1–4.
   
• Goessling W, McKee PH, Mayer RJ. Merkel cell carcinoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2002; 20(2):588–598.
   
• Miller RW, Rabkin CS. Merkel cell carcinoma and melanoma: Etiological similarities and differences. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 1999; 8(2):153–158.
   
• Allen PJ, Bowne WB, Jaques DP, et al. Merkel cell carcinoma: Prognosis and treatment of patients from a single institution. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005; 23(10): 2300–2309.

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