Skip to main content
Back to Journal Club

Delayed Postoperative Radiation for Merkel Cell Carcinoma Increases Recurrence Risk

Alexander NA, Schaub SK, Goff PH, et al.
Dermatologic Surgery (2024)

Open AccessJC: March 2024

This study examined the impact of delayed postoperative radiation therapy on recurrence risk in Merkel cell carcinoma. Longer time intervals between surgery and initiation of adjuvant radiation were associated with increased recurrence rates, emphasizing the importance of timely adjuvant treatment.

Take-Home Messages

  • •Delayed initiation of adjuvant radiation therapy for MCC significantly increases local and regional recurrence risk.
  • •Adjuvant radiation for MCC should be initiated as promptly as possible after surgical excision to optimize outcomes.
Full Text →

Topic

SCC Systemic Therapy

Adjuvant immunotherapy, cemiplimab, radiation for high-risk cSCC

Related MohsPedia Articles

Tumor Scc

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is often treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy (PORT). The optimal time to initiate PORT (Time-to-PORT [ttPORT]) is unknown. We assessed if delays in ttPORT were associated with inferior outcomes. Competing risk regression was used to evaluate associations between ttPORT and locoregional recurrence (LRR) for patients with stage I/II MCC in a prospective registry and adjust for covariates. Distant metastasis and death were competing risks. The coh...

Free Full Text
Literature review only. This summary is an editorial interpretation and may not reflect the complete findings of the original publication. Always refer to the full-text article for clinical decision-making.