Merkel-cell carcinoma: ESMO-EURACAN Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

I Lugowska; J C Becker; P A Ascierto; M Veness; A Blom; C Lebbe; E Migliano; O Hamming-Vrieze; M Goebeler; H Kneitz; P Nathan; P Rutkowski; M Slowinska; D Schadendorf; J M Piulats; F Petrelli; A C J van Akkooi; A Berruti; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Electronic address: clinicalguidelines@esmo.org

doi:10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.102977

Merkel-cell carcinoma: ESMO-EURACAN Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

ESMO Open. 2024 May;9(5):102977. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.102977. Epub 2024 Apr 30.

Authors

I Lugowska¹, J C Becker², P A Ascierto³, M Veness⁴, A Blom⁵, C Lebbe⁶, E Migliano⁷, O Hamming-Vrieze⁸, M Goebeler⁹, H Kneitz⁹, P Nathan¹⁰, P Rutkowski¹¹, M Slowinska¹², D Schadendorf¹³, J M Piulats¹⁴, F Petrelli¹⁵, A C J van Akkooi¹⁶, A Berruti¹⁷; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Electronic address: clinicalguidelines@esmo.org

Affiliations

¹ Department of Early Phase Clinical Trials, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
² Department of Translational Skin Cancer Research, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital of Essen, Essen; Department of Translational Skin Cancer Research, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
³ Department of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
⁴ Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney; Department of Radiation Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
⁵ CARADERM Network, Department of General and Oncologic Dermatology, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, EA4340-BECCOH, AP-HP, Ambroise-Paré Hospital, Boulogne-Billancourt.
⁶ Université de Paris Cite, Paris; Dermato-Oncology and CIC Department, AP-HP Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris; INSERM U976, Paris, France.
⁷ Department of Plastic and Regenerative Surgery, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
⁸ Department of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁹ Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Oncology, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, UK.
¹¹ Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw.
¹² Department of Dermatology, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
¹³ Department of Dermatology, Westdeutsches Tumorzentrum (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, Essen; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen & NCT-West Campus Essen & University Alliance Ruhr, Research Center One Health, Essen, Germany.
¹⁴ Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO), Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), CIBEROnc, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
¹⁵ Oncology Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Bergamo Ovest, Treviglio, Italy.
¹⁶ Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney; Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
¹⁷ Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology Unit, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.

Abstract

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This ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline provides key recommendations for managing Merkel-cell carcinoma (MCC).
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Recommendations are based on available scientific data and the multidisciplinary group of experts’ collective opinion.
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The guideline covers clinical and pathological diagnosis, staging and risk assessment, treatment and follow-up.
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Algorithms for the management of locoregional and inoperable/metastatic disease are provided.
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A multidisciplinary team with a high level of expertise in MCC should diagnose and make decisions about therapy.

Keywords: Merkel-cell carcinoma; clinical practice guideline; diagnosis; follow-up; treatment recommendation.

Publication types

Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* / diagnosis
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* / therapy
Europe / epidemiology
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Neoplasm Staging
Skin Neoplasms* / diagnosis
Skin Neoplasms* / therapy