What causes Merkel cell carcinoma?
UV rays from sun exposure or artificial light sources like tanning beds cause most types of skin cancer, including Merkel cell carcinoma. UV radiation can damage the genetic makeup, or DNA, of skin cells.
Eight in 10 people with Merkel cell carcinoma have the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCP). But most people infected with MCP don’t develop Merkel cell carcinoma. This common childhood virus doesn’t cause symptoms, and there isn’t a way to screen for it. Medical experts are still trying to determine how and why the virus causes skin cancer in some people.
Research suggests a weakened immune system may not be able to suppress the virus. As a result, the virus causes skin cells to make a protein that turns off the genes that normally suppress the growth of tumors.
What are the risk factors for Merkel cell carcinoma?
People of all ages, genders and skin colors can get Merkel cell carcinoma. But men who are fair-skinned and over 50 are most at risk.
Other risk factors include:
- Having other types of skin cancer like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma.
- History of tanning bed use or severe sunburns.
- Receiving light therapy (phototherapy) to treat psoriasis or other skin diseases.
- Weakened immune system due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia, HIV and AIDS, or other conditions.
- Taking organ transplant medications or immunosuppressants.
What are the signs of Merkel cell carcinoma?
Tumors from Merkel cell carcinoma typically appear on sun-exposed areas of skin. You may notice a shiny or pearly lump on an area of skin that gets a lot of sun exposure.
The lumps most commonly appear on your face, neck, arms or eyelids. People with darker skin can often get these tumors on their legs. For people who are younger, the lump appears on their torso. The lump may break open into a wound or sore, too.
The lump may be:
- About the size of a dime and growing quickly.
- Dome shaped or raised.
- Firm.
- Itchy.
- Similar to a pimple (acne) or insect bite.
- Skin colored or red, purple or bluish-red.
- Tender or sore.
What are the complications of Merkel cell carcinoma?
Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive cancer that spreads quickly to other parts of your body. When cancer spreads from its primary site, you have metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer is more difficult to treat.
Merkel cell carcinoma most commonly spreads to your lymphatic system (lymph nodes) first. From there, it may spread to other parts of your body like your bones, lungs, brain or other organs. Merkel cell carcinoma can be fatal.
FAQs
The first sign of Merkel cell carcinoma is usually a fast-growing, painless nodule (tumor) on your skin. The nodule may be skin-colored or may appear in shades of red, blue or purple.
What is the cause of Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
Overview of Merkel cell carcinoma causes
Factors strongly associated with the development of MCC include age over 65 years, fair skin, history of extensive sun exposure, chronic immune suppression (e.g., kidney or heart transplantation or HIV), and the Merkel cell.
How do you treat stage 3 Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
Treatment of stage III Merkel cell carcinoma may include the following: Wide local excision with or without lymph node dissection. Radiation therapy. Immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy using pembrolizumab), for tumors that cannot be removed by surgery.
What is the progression of Merkel cells? ›
Merkel cell carcinoma most commonly spreads to your lymphatic system (lymph nodes) first. From there, it may spread to other parts of your body like your bones, lungs, brain or other organs. Merkel cell carcinoma can be fatal.
What can be mistaken for Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
An MCC can be mistaken for a basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, lymphoma, or small cell carcinoma of the skin. Most MCCs are provisionally diagnosed as basal cell carcinomas before biopsy.
How long does it take for Merkel cell carcinoma to metastasize? ›
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer with a high risk for returning (recurring) and spreading (metastasizing), often within two to three years after initial diagnosis.
What is a Stage 4 Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
The tumor has spread to skin that is not close to the primary tumor or to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lung, bone, or brain.
How long can someone live with Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
When Merkel cell carcinoma is discovered and treated early, and hasn't spread to other parts of the body, about 75% of people live for at least 5 years after diagnosis. The outcomes tend to be worse if the cancer spreads; thus, early detection and treatment are important.
How to beat Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
Treatment for Early Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Surgery and radiation therapy are the most common treatments for people with early-stage MCC (stage I or II, when the main tumor has not spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body).
How long did Jimmy Buffett have Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
Asgari, MD, MPH, shares details about one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer. After battling skin cancer for four years before his death, "Margaritaville" singer Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023, at age 76, from Merkel cell carcinoma, according to his website.
While MCC is often painless, it can feel sore and tender. Some people say the growth itches. Many people who develop MCC are otherwise healthy. If you have certain risk factors, you have a greater risk of getting this skin cancer.
What does Merkel carcinoma look like? ›
What does MCC look like? MCC usually develops on sun-exposed skin as a firm, painless, flesh-colored to red-violet bump. The initial small bump tends to grow rapidly over weeks to months.
Where is the most common site of Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
It most frequently presents on the head and neck region of elderly, white males. Specific risk factors include ultraviolet (UV) exposure, advancing age, and immunosuppression, and its development is associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infection.
What is the growth pattern of Merkel cell carcinoma? ›
Merkel cell carcinoma tends to grow quickly and to metastasize (spread) at an early stage. It usually spreads first to nearby lymph nodes and then may spread to lymph nodes or skin in distant parts of the body, lungs, brain, bones, or other organs.
Can you have Merkel cell carcinoma for years? ›
“With contemporary immunotherapy, many patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma are living for years, and some might have complete, durable responses,” says Dr. Kluger.
