Merkel cell carcinoma patients who received pembrolizumab often had durable responses

(Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) In a phase 2 clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab as a first-line systemic therapy for advanced Merkel cell carcinoma, or MCC -- a rare, aggressive type of skin cancer -- the clinical response rate was similar to that typically seen with standard chemotherapy, but the duration of the response appeared to be markedly longer. There are currently no therapies that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for this cancer.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news