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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Infection and Detection
Published on: February 7, 2019
Immunotherapy for Merkel cell carcinoma: a turning point in patient care
Isaac S Chan1, Shailender Bhatia2, Howard L Kaufman3
1Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Merkel Cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive cancer, with an estimated disease-associated mortality as high as 46%. MCC has proven to be an immunologically responsive disease and the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors has changed the treatment landscape for patients with advanced MCC. In this review, we discuss the rationale for the use of immune checkpoint inhibition, review current single agent therapies tested in and approved for MCC, and discuss emerging immunotherapeutic options for these patients.
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