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The following is a summary of “Improved survival at the population level for patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma following availability of immunotherapy,” published in the March 2025 issue of Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology by Paulson et al. 

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a skin cancer with uncertain real-world survival benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) approved in 2017.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to specify whether the introduction of ICIs in the U.S was associated with improved survival.  

They analyzed SEER data for MCC cases diagnosed between 2010 and 2021. Individuals were categorized into 3-year intervals to assess changes over time and 2-year overall and relative survival rates were calculated to evaluate trends in survival outcomes.  

The results showed that among 453 individuals with metastatic MCC, the 2-year relative survival rate increased from 23% (2010–2012) to 37% (2013–2015), 42% (2016–2018), and 54% (2019–2021) (P < 0.001). Median overall survival improved from 9 months to 16 months. In 4,786 individuals with MCC, the 2-year relative survival rate rose from 73% (2010–2012) to 81% (2019–2021) (P = 0.004), while overall survival increased from 67% to 72% (P = 0.012).  

Investigators concluded that, despite SEER’s data limitations, the population-level survival increase following ICI introduction suggests a significant reduction in advanced MCC deaths. 

Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(25)00422-0/abstract