Merkel cell carcinoma: Analysis of clinical, histologic, and immunohistologic features of 132 cases with relation to survival

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon malignancy of the skin and has a high rate of recurrence and metastasis. There have been few large studies of the biologic behavior of MCC. Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether there were clinical or histologic features of MCC that predict its biologic behavior. Methods: We reviewed 132 cases of MCC. Clinical and histologic features were correlated with follow-up information to determine whether any of these were associated with prognosis. Results: Clinical information was available on 126 patients; 57 were alive, 1 was alive with tumor, 28 died of tumor, 27 died from other causes, and 14 were lost to follow-up. MCC on the buttock/thigh area or trunk had the worst prognosis, and these on the distal extremities had the best prognosis; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Sex and age were not significant factors. Small cell size, high mitotic rate, and large tumor size were associated with a low survival rate. When cell size was excluded, male sex and depth of invasion were associated with a worse survival, although these were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Cell size, mitotic rate, and tumor size are significant factors in relation to the biologic behavior of MCC.