title: Merkel cell tumor of the skin treated with localized radiotherapy: are widely negative margins required?
abstract: Merkel's cell carcinoma is a rare cutaneous tumor that can affect a wide variety of sites throughout the body. Commonly, it affects the skin alone and the management of limited disease can be confusing since the natural history of the disease involves distant metastasis. Traditional management has required wide local excision with negative margins of resection. We describe a case treated with local therapy alone and review the literature to suggest that complete microscopic excision may not be required if adjuvant radiotherapy is used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA;
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trombetta
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Packard
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Velosa
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Day
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Werts
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parda