An efficacy study of Chemo-Radiotherapy in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Skin

The overall objective of this study is to develop a well tolerated chemo-radiotherapy regimen for patients with Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) of the skin that achieves high rates of control. You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 or over and have been diagnosed with stage II or stage III Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the skin with no evidence of distant spread. All participants in this study will undergo radiation therapy for 5 days per week for 5 weeks whilst being administered Carboplatin intravenously (i.e. directly into the vein) once per week. Three weeks after the end of radiation therapy, patients will commence 3 x 3-week cycles of intravenous Carboplatin, administered on day 1 of each cycle, and intravenous Etoposide, administered on days 1-3 of each cycle. Patients will be assessed by PET scan, CT and/or bone scan, and monitored for therapy side effects and survival every 3-6 months for 5 years. The PET scans will be used to assist in staging and planning the patient's treatment as well as assessing response at the conclusion of treatment. It is hoped that the findings of this trial will lead to a greater understanding of the effect and toxicity of Carboplatin-Etoposide chemotherapy in combination with radiation therapy for stage II and III Merkel Cell Carcinoma.