Skin Cancer Foundation receives MCC skin cancer education grant

The Skin Cancer Foundation recently received a patient education grant from EMD Serono, which will allow the foundation to add more educational resources regarding Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) to its website.

MCC, while rare, is an aggressive skin cancer that is fatal more often than the better-known melanoma. Approximately 1,500 new cases are diagnosed every year. If the cancer metastasizes, the five-year survival rate is only 20 percent.

“Merkel cell carcinoma is extremely rare, but very dangerous,” The Skin Cancer Foundation SVP Dr. Deborah S. Sarnoff said. “Not many people know about it, so they’re not aware of their risk. As leaders in the fight against skin cancer, we have a responsibility to fill this education gap so that we can prevent some of the deaths that result from a lack of knowledge.”

Like most skin cancers, MCC affects people with excess sun exposure. It also affects the elderly, people with HIV and transplant recipients. A compromised immune system is one factor that affects the development of MCC.

“As with many rare cancers, there is a lack of resources for people to understand and learn about Merkel cell carcinoma,” EMD Serono VP and Head of Global Medical Affairs, Oncology, Zhen Su said. “Our company is working to help people with cancers where there remains a significant need, and we are proud to support The Skin Cancer Foundation to help educate people about this relatively unknown and devastating cancer.”