Hi 2 1/2 yrs ago my husband had a small lump behind his ear. Doctors said it was a Basal cell and proceeded to remove it with a local in the office. a couple weeks went by and he notices a large lump growing inside his neck. Then another small one appeared. Surgery and biopsys said it was Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Hearing this I read way to much and tried to keep be happy for him always encouraging him. 3 weeks after his 1st surgery he went back under the knife and they removed 30 or more lymph nodes of whice 16 were malignant. All this time they said they got it all and he was going to be fine. Any thoughts would be very welcome.Dave was diagnoised April 12th and Died July 17th 2008Mrs David French
Hi, Thanks for writing in. Sorry to hear about your husband. Unfortunately Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and highly aggressive skin cancer. It is a feared diagnosis and to be handled with care. You can see that your husband rapidly progressed from having a lump behind the ear to a large one in the neck and 16 lymph nodes which were malignant. The survival form the condition is low and treatment is difficult due to the aggressive proliferation of the tumor. The prognosis of disease is challenging and leaves little time for treatment planning and recovery. He was unlucky to have this cancer and survival difficult. Please do not worry.