title: [Merkel cell carcinoma experience in a reference medical center.]
abstract: Background: Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare tumor that occurs on areas exposed to ultraviolet light. It is usually asymptomatic and it is diagnosed late often. The treatment is surgical, associated with adjuvant radiotherapy. The objective was to present the experience in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma in a reference medical center. Methods: all patients with Merkel cell carcinoma treated at the Instituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas of the Universidad Veracruzana during the period 2008 to 2011 were studied. Sex, age, evolution time, tumor localization, size, metastases and treatment were analyzed. Results: of 3217 patients treated, three cases were Merkel cell carcinoma (0.09 %), their age was 52.1 ± 14.17, male predominance of 66.67 %; the evolution time was of 29.66 ± 35.36 months; the tumour localization was on inguinal region, anterior chest and left arm; the noodle size was of 6.0 ± 5.19 cm; two patients had lymph node metastases. In two cases, resection and lymphadenectomy were performed. They all received radiation therapy and chemotherapy in one case. Histologically the medium variant predominated; immunohistochemistry was positive in the three cases. One patient died ten months after the study was done. Conclusions: our experience is similar with others authors, Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare tumor, usually diagnosed late, and it has poor survival.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Veracruz, México. froesch@uv.mx.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roesch-Dietlen
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Devezé-Bocardi
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Juárez
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grube-Pagola
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romero-Sierra
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Remes-Troche
authors.forename: Carmen Sofía
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Silva-Cañetas
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lozoya-López Escalera
keywords: carcinoma de células de Merkel; carcinoma, Merkel cell; neoplasias cutáneas; skin neoplasms