Merkel Cell Carcinoma

This is a rare tumour, there are approximately 150-300 new cases of Merkel cell carcinoma in the UK per year. Mr Potter will discuss treatment options open to you following appropriate full staging of the disease with scans.

Where appropriate we treat with excision and potential sentinel lymph node biopsy to ascertain if the tumour has spread. All Merkel cell carcinomas Mr Potter treats, we discuss at Oxford’s Multidisciplinary skin cancer meeting. Consultant Radiologists review all scans and are specific to your cancer.

Mr Potter believes that where possible Merkel Cell Carcinoma benefits from dual modality treatment. This is surgical excision of the tumour with surgical excision of any potentially involved draining lymph nodes.

Sentinel Lymph node biopsy and or completion dissection of the lymph node basin and radiotherapy to the Merkel Cell Carcinoma site once this has been excised and also to the draining lymph node site if appropriate.

National CRUK Panel

Mr Potter is on the National CRUK panel for research and trials into improving the outcome of patients with skin cancer. He is also part of an international study into improving outcomes in Merkel Cell Carcinoma (Rational MCC study).