Merkel Cell Carcinoma

What is Merkel Cell Carcinoma?

Painless flesh-colored or bluish-red nodules that appear on the head, face or neck may be indicative of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). MCC is a very rare type of skin cancer that impacts approximately 24 out of every 10,000,000 people in the United States. Unfortunately, it is a disproportionately dangerous type of skin cancer, being responsible for the deaths of approximately one in every three patients, as opposed to about one in six fatalities in melanoma patients.

MCC generally develops in patients over the age of 50 or in those with weakened immune systems and on areas of the body that have been exposed to the sun.