Authors
Magdalena Forstinger, Matthias Barta, Matthias Brandlmaier, Christine Hafner, Maximilian Lammer, Lukas Muigg, Angela Öllinger, Anja Pinczker, Lisa Zahn, Timna Vith, Christian Posch
Published in
Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany). Oct 13, 2026. Epub Oct 13, 2026.
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer. Treatment with avelumab (Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody) is established in advanced disease, but real-world data are limited.
To assess effectiveness and safety of avelumab for advanced MCC in Austria.
This multicenter retrospective chart-review study included 49 patients with Merkel cell carcinoma who had received at least one cycle of avelumab between September 2017 and December 2023. The primary endpoint was real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS). Secondary endpoints included real-world overall survival (rwOS), real-world objective response rate (rwORR), real-world duration of response (rwDOR), real-world time to response (rwTTR), and safety; real-world time to treatment discontinuation (rwTTD) univariable subgroup analyses and post hoc multivariable Cox regression models were assessed exploratorily.
Median rwPFS was 10.1 months (95% CI 1.8-18.4), and median rwOS was 22.9 months (95% CI 5.0-40.8). RwORR was 47.9% (95% CI 34.5-61.7), and median rwDOR was 19.2 months. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 71.4% of patients and were grade ≥ 3 in 48.6% of affected patients. Immune- and/or treatment-related AEs were documented in 53.1%; 12.2% discontinued treatment due to adverse events.
Real-world data support avelumab effectiveness with an expected safety profile in advanced MCC. In routine care, AEs may limit treatment duration, underscoring structured monitoring and interdisciplinary management.
PMID:
42867636
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Oct 2026.
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