i'm sorry to hear your brother-in-law and family are going through this especially during the holiday season. you're right that merkel cell carcinoma is rare. and that's problematic in terms of predicting prognosis because study results for this disease often are based on small populations or even individual patients. according to this highly technical document the 5-year survival rate for patients with early-stage localized disease (negative lymph nodes) is about 90%. that's not an entirely reliable number due to various statistical factors but it gives you something to go on. in general with most cancers the less advanced it is the higher the success rate for chemotherapy and other treatments. this tumor staging information chart may give you additional insight into how advanced his disease is. i caution you though that this type of information can be hard for a lay person to interpret. if you have any questions about it feel free to print this chart out and take it to the doctor with you to have it explained by a medical professional. i wish you and your family all the best with this!
can anyone give more information on primary cutaneous neuroendocrine "merkel cell carcinoma"? . my brother-in-law has been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer and i'm looking for information on how this is treated and success rates for chemo treatment. .