Patients with Merkel cell carcinoma create an informational flyer to educate patients and physicians about this deadly cancer. The flyer contains general information about MCC and provides resources of where to get more detailed information. This grass-roots effort is aimed at increasing awareness of MCC.

click on the image for a pdf of the flyer

The first clinical description of Merkel cell carcinoma based on 195 patients in Dr. Nghiem's database is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. We define the "AEIOU Features of MCC" which are Asymptomatic (non-tender), Expanding Rapidly, Immune suppression, Older than age 50, and UV exposed/fair skin. [pdf]

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, March 2008

George Campbell (from the MCC Google Group) creates posters based on the AEIOU Features to raise awareness about MCC. Click here to see more.

First fresh tumor donated via the internet to our research! We received the first tissue donation from a patient whose surgery was not done in Seattle. By coordinating with the patient, his wife and his surgeon (and FedEx), we successfully obtained tissue. This resource is invaluable for our research studies. Thank you!

If you have an upcoming surgery and would also like to donate tissue, click here for more information.

The family and friends of a loved one lost to MCC in California put on a Benefit Concert to Beat Cancer and donate all proceeds to our research.

New study launched to help understand MCC. The Nghiem lab has just been granted permission to interact with patient throughout the US who have MCC. In Phase 1 of this study, we would like to contact patients who plan to have surgery to removed MCC tumor tissue (primary or metastatic. If you are interested in participating in our research, please click here.

A patient of Dr. Nghiem's creates a temporary tattoo to help raise awareness for MCC.

Dr. Nghiem and Kelly Garneski proudly showing off their new "tattoos"

(close up of tattoo on right)

7/07

Dr. Nghiem is awarded a grant to improve MCC education for patients and physicians by the American Cancer Society - Jerry Wachter Fund. Jerry Wachter was the team photographer for the Baltimore Orioles and passed away this year from MCC. His family and friends created a fund in his honor to increase awareness of MCC. Click here for the press release award of this grant.

click on the image for a PDF of the JW Fund Mission

1/07

Dana Whatley sold a 1964 Fender Stratocaster guitar on ebay for $30,299, in memory of her husband. She is donating 50% of the proceeds to our Merkel cell carcinoma Research Program. We thank Dana for this extraodinarily generous donation.

2/07

Dr. Nghiem speaks on Merkel cell carcinoma at the 2007 American Academy of Dermatology in Washington, DC. A handout for this session can be downlaoded by clicking here.

The MMIG (Merkel cell carcinoma Multicenter Interest Group) had its second annual meeting in Washington, DC, at the American Academy of Dermatology. There was a very interesting and lively discussion, and a brief summary of the presentations and discussion can be downloaded by clicking here.

   Drs. Dan Coit, Klaus Busam and Siegrid Yu

     Dr. Clark Otley

Dr. Paul Nghiem

Drs. Heath and Lemos join the lab. Dr. Michelle Heath is a Dermatology Resident who will focus on the MCC patient database. Dr. Bianca Lemos is a Research Fellow who will assist with both the database and continuation of the genetic analysis of MCC.

Drs. Lemos and Heath

6/06

The June 2006 issue of the Archives of Dermatology features several articles on Merkel cell carcinoma discussing the role of sentinal lymph node biopsy in prognosis and improved therapy, the importance of adjuvant radiation and an editorial highlighting the management and treatment of MCC.

Archives of Dermatology, June 2006

3/06

The "Merkel cell carcinoma Multicenter Interest Group" (MMIG) was organized and had its first meeting in San Francisco.  There were dermatologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists from over 10 institutions that came together with the goal of making a difference in MCC.  The MMIG hopes to pool resources, expertise and data to improve the diagnosis, management and therapy for this disease.

First meeting of the Merkel cell carcinoma Multicenter Interest Group

San Francisco, March 2006

1/06

11/05

Dr. Xiaohui Bi joins the lab to work on molecular and biological studies of Merkel cell carcinoma.  She will use high resolution array-comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to discover chromosomal copy number alterations  (CNAs) that may indicate tumor suppressors (loss of region) and oncogenes (gain of region) in collaboration with Dr. Lynda Chin at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  She will also use large scale lentiviral siRNA-based screening in Merkel cell carcinoma cell lines to search for kinases/signaling pathways that are essential for this cell type to grow.  siRNA-based screening will be a collaboration with Dr. William Hahn at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Bi brings a high level of experience in cancer biology and cell cycle biology with her from her postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Cyrus Vaziri at Boston Medical Center.

Drs. Xiaohui Bi and Natalia Jaimes

8/05

9/05

10/04

Dr. Martina Gellenthin, dermatology resident from Berlin joins the Merkel cell effort at Harvard.  She brings experience in skin cancer database management from her fellowship program in Berlin.  She will focus on creating a database for our ~150 Merkel cell carcinoma patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital.  When she returns to Berlin she will continue her research on skin cancer while completing her training.

Dr. Martina Gellenthin