Treatment Options by Stage
A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.
Stage I and Stage II Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Note: Information about physical adjustment to treatment, problems with physical and cognitive development, and life after cancer treatment will be added to this summary in the future. The goal of supportive care is to improve the quality of life for young cancer patients and their families. Most children with cancer can be cured. However, cancer treatment for young patients can cause unwanted side effects and other problems during and after treatment. Early treatment of cancer symptoms...
Treatment of stage I and stage IIMerkel cell carcinoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the tumor, such as wide local excision with or without lymph node dissection.
- Radiation therapy after surgery.
- A clinical trial of a new treatment.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Stage III Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Treatment of stage IIIMerkel cell carcinoma may include the following:
- Wide local excision with or without lymph node dissection.
- Radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Stage IV Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Treatment of stage IVMerkel cell carcinoma may include the following as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life:
- Chemotherapy.
- Surgery.
- Radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of a new treatment.
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