The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have granted accelerated approval for avelumab for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), including those who have not received prior chemotherapy. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for metastatic MCC, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer. The scientific community continues to make improvements that target the body’s immune system mechanisms for the treatment of various types of cancer. These advancements are leading to new therapies even in rare forms of cancer where treatment options are limited or non-existent.
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. The incidence of MCC exceeds the incidence of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Moreover, the mortality rate of MCC is considerably high than that of cutaneous melanoma. In…
