Merkel cell carcinoma of the face: an analysis of 16 cases in the Japanese.
BACKGROUND
There is no agreement regarding a staging system and optimal treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma. Some centres have reported results from larger series of patients, but these do not include Asian or Japanese centres.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review our experience with the surgical treatment of MCC of the face in the Japanese and to study its management and outcome using the staging system described by Clark et al.


METHODS
We report our experiences with 16 cases between 1991 and 2004. Patients and tumour characteristics, treatment variables and outcome were analysed.


RESULTS
The follow-up periods ranged from 1 to 180 months. The average was 32.6 months and the median was 17.5 months. The relapse-free survival for all patients was 51% at 2 years. The relapse-free survival was 80% for the patients with Stage I and 33% with Stage II at 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
This staging system was suggested to reflect prognosis although the number of patients in this series was small. Sentinel lymph node biopsy should be considered to determine the accurate nodal staging, and patients with MCC of the head and neck may be treated according to the revised staging system by Clark et al.
Saito
Akira
A
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Tsutsumida
Arata
A
Furukawa
Hiroshi
H
Saito
Noriko
N
Mol
William
W
Sekido
Mitsuru
M
Sasaki
Satoru
S
Oashi
Kohei
K
Kimura
Chu
C
Yamamoto
Yuhei
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis