Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Burden of Disease, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment of Merkel Cell Carcinoma in Latin America

2018; American Society of Clinical Oncology; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1200/jgo.18.00041

2378-9506

Rafael Schmerling, José G Casas, Gabriela Cinat, Fabio Ernesto Grosso Ospina, Luiza E.B.P. Kassuga, Jorge Luis Martinez Tlahuel, Luis Daniel Mazzuoccolo,

Plant Virus Research Studies

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), first described by Cyril Toker in 1972,1 is a rare and aggressive skin cancer. Although it accounts for less than 1% of malignant skin tumors, it is the second leading cause of death from skin cancer behind melanoma.2 Despite its aggressive behavior, MCC may be curable in patients with local and node-positive disease.3 Even with a high rate of local and distant recurrence, treatment options exist that can improve overall survival and quality of life. Early diagnosis and timely intervention are key to improving health outcomes. The purpose of this work is to briefly review the features and treatment of MCC so that health care providers and policymakers are familiar with the disease and recognize the current limitations in Latin America that are barriers to improved outcomes.