Merkel Cell Carcinoma: An Immunotherapy Fairy-Tale?

• Main Authors: Enrica Teresa Tanda, Agostina Lagodin d’Amato, Giovanni Rossi, Elena Croce, Andrea Boutros, Federica Cecchi, Francesco Spagnolo, Paola Queirolo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-09-01
• Series: Frontiers in Oncology
• Subjects: merkel cell carcinoma; immunotherapy; merkel cell polyomavirus; advanced disease; anti-PD-1; neoadjuvant
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.739006/full

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive, neuroendocrine cutaneous tumor. The incidence of MCC is growing worldwide, and the disease-related mortality is about three-fold higher than melanoma. Since a few years ago, very little has been known about this disease, and chemotherapy has been the standard of care. Nowadays, new discoveries about the pathophysiology of this neoplasm and the introduction of immunotherapy allowed to completely rewrite the history of these patients. In this review, we provide a summary of the most important changes in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma, with a focus on immunotherapy and a landscape of future treatment strategies.