title: Systematic literature review of efficacy, safety and tolerability outcomes of chemotherapy regimens in patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Embase®, MEDLINE®, MEDLINE®-In-Process and CENTRAL were searched for studies published in January 2016.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University of Washington Medical School, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195-8050, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nghiem
authors.affiliation: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA.
authors.forename: Howard L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.affiliation: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Murtuza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bharmal
authors.affiliation: Global Research and Early Development, EMD Serono, Billerica, Boston, MA 01821, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahnke
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Outcomes Research, EMD Serono, Rockland, MA 02370, USA.
authors.forename: Hemant
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Phatak
authors.affiliation: Translational Skin Cancer Research, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Essen Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Merkel cell carcinoma; checkpoint inhibitors; chemotherapy; immunotherapy; metastasis; systematic literature review