Cancer Health Center
Merkel Cell Carcinoma Treatment - 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 Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Treatment of stage I Merkel cell carcinoma may include the following:
- Surgery:
- Wide local excision.
- Mohs micrographic surgery.
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy.
- Lymph node dissection.
- Radiation therapy after surgery.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry 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 II Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Treatment of stage II Merkel cell carcinoma may include the following:
- Surgery (wide local excision and lymph node dissection).
- Radiation therapy after surgery.
- Chemotherapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage II 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 III Merkel cell carcinoma is usually chemotherapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry 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.
WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute
This information is produced and provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The information in this topic may have changed since it was written. For the most current information, contact the National Cancer Institute via the Internet web site at http://cancer.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER
Merkel Cell Carcinoma Treatment Topics
Experts are making great strides in treating cancer. But many of these advances apply only after the cancer has been diagnosed. Now the disease is about to come under attack with a revolutionary tool called a nanoshell. Learn how scientists hope the new technology will detect and destroy cancer cells sooner.
