|
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Merkel
cell cancer, also called
Merkel cell carcinoma,
trabecular cancer,
Apudoma of skin,
or Small cell neuroepithelial tumor
of the skin, is a rare and highly
aggressive
cancer
where
malignant cancer cells develop on or just beneath the
skin
and in
hair follicles. This cancer is a type of
neuroendocrine tumor, like
small cell lung cancer. Once it has metastasized to the lymph
nodes, the 5-year survival rate for a patient is about 50 percent. A
small tumor (less than 2 cm) that has not metastasized to the lymph
nodes reported a 5-year survival rate of more than 90 percent;
however, at the time of diagnosis of MCC the 5-year survival was 64
percent. Up to half of patients suffer a recurrence.[1]
It occurs most often on the face, head, and neck. It
usually appears as firm, painless,
nodules,
or tumors.
These flesh-colored, red, or blue tumors vary in size from 5 mm (less
than a quarter of an inch) to more than 5cm (2 inches). The tumor grows
rapidly. About half of all Merkel cell cancers occur on the sun-exposed
areas of the head and neck, while one-third begin on the legs, and 15%
occur on the arms. The cancer may also begin on other parts of the body,
such as the trunk.
From initial onset, Merkel cell cancer
metastasizes quickly and spreads to other parts of the body, tending
towards the regional
lymph nodes. The tumor tends to invade underlying subcutaneous
fat,
fascia, and
muscle.
It can also metastasize to the
liver,
lungs,
brain or
bones.
More information can be found on the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkel_cell_carcinoma
|