Treatment of Stage IV Merkel Cell Carcinoma

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of stage IV Merkel cell carcinoma may include the following:

• Immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy using avelumab or pembrolizumab).
• Chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
• A clinical trial of immunotherapy (nivolumab and ipilimumab).

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.