Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Jun;13(14):1263-1279.
doi: 10.2217/fon-2017-0072. Epub 2017 Mar 28.

Systematic literature review of efficacy, safety and tolerability outcomes of chemotherapy regimens in patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma

Paul Nghiem  1 , Howard L Kaufman  2 , Murtuza Bharmal  3 , Lisa Mahnke  4 , Hemant Phatak  5 , Jürgen C Becker  6
Affiliations

Systematic literature review of efficacy, safety and tolerability outcomes of chemotherapy regimens in patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma

Paul Nghiem et al. Future Oncol. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

Aim: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine, cutaneous malignancy with poor prognosis once metastasized. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review to assess clinical outcomes associated with chemotherapy regimens in metastatic MCC.

Materials & methods: Embase®, MEDLINE®, MEDLINE®-In-Process and CENTRAL were searched for studies published in January 2016.

Results & conclusion: Overall, the literature on chemotherapy in patients with metastatic MCC is sparse, with most studies being case series/reports. Across all studies, response rates ranged from 20 to 61%, with higher response rates in first-line setting (53-61%) versus second-line setting (23-45%). Among responders, duration of response was short (≤8 months) in both first- and second-line settings. There is a need for novel agents that can induce durable responses in metastatic MCC.

Keywords: Merkel cell carcinoma; checkpoint inhibitors; chemotherapy; immunotherapy; metastasis; systematic literature review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure

M Bharmal, L Mahnke and H Phatak are employees of Merck KGaA/EMD Serono. P Nghiem is a paid consultant for EMD Serono. JC Becker is a paid consultant for EMD Serono, Pfizer and BMS, and he has received research grants from EMD Serono and BMS. This study was sponsored by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and EMD Serono, USA (a US subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) and is part of an alliance between Merck KGaA and Pfizer, Inc. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Medical writing support was provided by S Mardiguian, PAREXEL International, London, UK, and was funded by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer, Inc.

Figures

<b>Figure 1.</b>
Figure 1.. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses study flow diagram.
*The number of studies categorized into different types of metastases exceeds the total number of included studies (n = 35) as some studies reported outcomes for ≥1 type of metastases. MCC: Merkel cell carcinoma; PRISMA: Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses; SGA: Subjective global assessment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Toker C. Trabecular carcinoma of the skin. Arch. Dermatol. 1972;105(1):107–110. - PubMed
    1. Saini AT, Miles BA. Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck: pathogenesis, current and emerging treatment options. Onco Targets Ther. 2015;8:2157–2167. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen MM, Roman SA, Sosa JA, Judson BL. The role of adjuvant therapy in the management of head and neck Merkel cell carcinoma: an analysis of 4815 patients. JAMA Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 2015;141(2):137–141. - PubMed
    1. Smith VA, Camp ER, Lentsch EJ. Merkel cell carcinoma: identification of prognostic factors unique to tumors located in the head and neck based on analysis of SEER data. Laryngoscope. 2012;122(6):1283–1290. - PubMed
    1. Lemos BD, Storer BE, Iyer JG, et al. Pathologic nodal evaluation improves prognostic accuracy in Merkel cell carcinoma: analysis of 5823 cases as the basis of the first consensus staging system. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2010;63(5):751–761. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources