An aging population is driving brisk increases in the number of new MCC cases in the United States. This growing impact combined with the rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape warrants expanded awareness of MCC diagnosis and management.

Role of iron in hair loss is not clear yet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between iron and hair loss. Retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with female pattern hair loss (FPHL) and male pattern hair loss (MPHL). All patients underwent screening including serum ferritin, iron, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC), CBC, ESR and thyroid function test. For normal healthy controls, age-sex matched subjects who had visited the hospital for a check-up with no serious disease were selected. A total 210 patients with FPHL (n = 113) and MPHL (n = 97) with 210 healthy controls were analyzed. Serum ferritin concentration (FC) was lower in patients with FPHL (49.27 ± 55.8 µg/L), compared with normal healthy women (77.89 ± 48.32 µg/L) (P < 0.001). Premenopausal FPHL patients turned out to show much lower serum ferritin than age/sex-matched controls (P < 0.001). Among MPHL patients, 22.7% of them showed serum FC lower than 70 µg/L, while no one had serum FC lower 70 µg/L in healthy age matched males. These results suggest that iron may play a certain role especially in premenopausal FPHL. The initial screening of iron status could be of help for hair loss patients.

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Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer that recurs in more than one-third of cases, with reported mortality rates of 33% to 46%. 1 Given this highrisk situation, MCC is often managed with therapies that are aggressive and potentially toxic: extensive surgery, radiation therapy (RT), and systemic therapy. Fortunately, recent advances in multiple realms now allow MCC management to be more effective and less toxic. In this Viewpoint, we highlight 3 recent developments relating to progress in local management, early detection of recurrent disease, and systemic therapy. Although it is not practical for physicians who rarely see patients with MCC to remain up-to-date on the details of management, herein we provide resources and guidelines to help physicians ensure optimal initial care and participate in longitudinal treatment of patients with MCC.

New parameters of LPND can achieve wrinkle improvement with few side effects.