Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and difficult-to-treat cutaneous malignancy with a poor prognosis. Treatment protocols for localized MCC are well established. Until recently, metastatic MCC has generally been treated with chemotherapy, which was often associated with poor clinical responses an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Deborah Zihler, Kathrin Vollmer, Antonio Cozzio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: THE HEALTHBOOK COMPANY LTD. 2019-09-01
Series:healthbook TIMES. Oncology Hematology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://onco-hema.healthbooktimes.org/article/24206-long-term-sustained-disease-control-with-immunotherapy-in-chemotherapy-refractory-merkel-cell-carcinoma
_version_ 1798014684526280704
author Deborah Zihler
Kathrin Vollmer
Antonio Cozzio
author_facet Deborah Zihler
Kathrin Vollmer
Antonio Cozzio
author_sort Deborah Zihler
collection DOAJ
description Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and difficult-to-treat cutaneous malignancy with a poor prognosis. Treatment protocols for localized MCC are well established. Until recently, metastatic MCC has generally been treated with chemotherapy, which was often associated with poor clinical responses and significant toxicity. In this report, the case of a patient with metastatic MCC who received avelumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, after an inadequate response to first-line radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is presented. Nine months after the initiation of the treatment with avelumab, the patient achieved a partial remission with no treatment-related adverse events. After a follow-up of 17 months, a systematically ongoing partial response was reported. In conclusion, this case study offers a clinical insight into the patient’s case and highlights the importance of immunotherapy as a first-line therapy for metastatic MCC.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T15:22:29Z
format Article
id doaj.art-6139b7b72cd64e34adef32693d7bd066
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2673-2092
2673-2106
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T15:22:29Z
publishDate 2019-09-01
publisher THE HEALTHBOOK COMPANY LTD.
record_format Article
series healthbook TIMES. Oncology Hematology
spelling doaj.art-6139b7b72cd64e34adef32693d7bd0662022-12-22T04:16:20ZengTHE HEALTHBOOK COMPANY LTD.healthbook TIMES. Oncology Hematology2673-20922673-21062019-09-011181110.36000/hbT.OH.2019.01.003Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell CarcinomaDeborah Zihler0Kathrin Vollmer1Antonio Cozzio2Department of Oncology Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Aarau, SwitzerlandDepartment of Oncology Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Aarau, SwitzerlandDepartment of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, SwitzerlandMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and difficult-to-treat cutaneous malignancy with a poor prognosis. Treatment protocols for localized MCC are well established. Until recently, metastatic MCC has generally been treated with chemotherapy, which was often associated with poor clinical responses and significant toxicity. In this report, the case of a patient with metastatic MCC who received avelumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, after an inadequate response to first-line radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is presented. Nine months after the initiation of the treatment with avelumab, the patient achieved a partial remission with no treatment-related adverse events. After a follow-up of 17 months, a systematically ongoing partial response was reported. In conclusion, this case study offers a clinical insight into the patient’s case and highlights the importance of immunotherapy as a first-line therapy for metastatic MCC.https://onco-hema.healthbooktimes.org/article/24206-long-term-sustained-disease-control-with-immunotherapy-in-chemotherapy-refractory-merkel-cell-carcinomamcpyvpd-l1immune checkpoint inhibitorsavelumabmcc
spellingShingle Deborah Zihler
Kathrin Vollmer
Antonio Cozzio
Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma
healthbook TIMES. Oncology Hematology
mcpyv
pd-l1
immune checkpoint inhibitors
avelumab
mcc
title Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma
title_full Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma
title_fullStr Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma
title_short Long-Term Sustained Disease Control with Immunotherapy in Chemotherapy-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma
title_sort long term sustained disease control with immunotherapy in chemotherapy refractory merkel cell carcinoma
topic mcpyv
pd-l1
immune checkpoint inhibitors
avelumab
mcc
url https://onco-hema.healthbooktimes.org/article/24206-long-term-sustained-disease-control-with-immunotherapy-in-chemotherapy-refractory-merkel-cell-carcinoma
work_keys_str_mv AT deborahzihler longtermsustaineddiseasecontrolwithimmunotherapyinchemotherapyrefractorymerkelcellcarcinoma
AT kathrinvollmer longtermsustaineddiseasecontrolwithimmunotherapyinchemotherapyrefractorymerkelcellcarcinoma
AT antoniocozzio longtermsustaineddiseasecontrolwithimmunotherapyinchemotherapyrefractorymerkelcellcarcinoma