Merkel cell carcinoma in Western Australia: a population-based study of incidence and survival

Abstract

Incidence of MCC in WA is the highest reported in the literature. In addition, MCC has worse survival than melanoma. The high rates and demographic and anatomical distribution are consistent with sun exposure playing a causal role.

Diagnosis and treatment of Merkel Cell Carcinoma. European consensus-based interdisciplinary guideline

“…It increased from 1980 to 2000 in US and in Europe [4][5][6][7]. This can be related to a true increased incidence by itself or caused by ageing of the population, increased sun exposure and/or improvement of diagnostic immunohistochemical tools as well as improved registration.…”

Multiple Primary Cancers Associated with Merkel Cell Carcinoma in Queensland, Australia, 1982–2011

“…A predominantly viral etiology appears likely given that a human pathogen called Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV; Feng et al, 2008;Spurgeon and Lambert, 2013) has been discovered in up to 90% of cases in North America and Europe (Donepudi et al, 2012;Prieto Munoz et al, 2013). However, there has been some speculation that sun exposure may generate a greater contribution to the incidence of MCC in parts of Australia because of elevated levels of ambient UV radiation (Girschik et al, 2011). Our recent finding (Youlden et al, 2014) that the incidence rate of MCC is twice as high in Queensland than anywhere else in the world and up to seven times higher than rates in some countries in northern Europe may provide support for the hypothesis that a larger proportion of MCCs in Australia are sun related.…”

Epidemiology and Aetiology of Non-melanoma Skin Cancer

“…Data pertaining to the epidemiology of MCC have not been studied extensively. However, a cancer registry from Western Australia between 1993 and 2007 indicated that this region had the highest reported incidence of MCC in the world [ 38 ]. Males were found to be affected more commonly than females-1 per 100,000 in males compared to 0.63 per 100,000 in females, with the median age being 77 years [ 38 ].…”