ASO Author Reflections: The Evolving and Expanding Role of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Antibody Titers

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend that clinicians consider obtaining Merkel cell polyomavirus antibody (MCPyV-Ab) titers from patients with a diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).¹ Despite this guideline, the collection of antibody titers is not widespread, likely due to the rarity of the disease, the relatively recent discovery of the virus,² and the availability of clinical testing. The prognostic and predictive value of these titers has not been fully elucidated, but studies demonstrate their potential as a useful disease marker.^3,4 Due to the rarity of MCC, these studies are limited by small population sizes. This study adds to the current body of evidence by its comparison of 2-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between MCPyV-Ab seropositive and seronegative patients at the authors’ institution.⁵ …