Real-world clinical outcomes with first-line avelumab in locally advanced/metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma in the USA: SPEAR-Merkel.

To assess clinical outcomes in patients with locally advanced (la) or metastatic (m) Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) initiating first-line (1L) avelumab in a USA community oncology setting. Adults with laMCC or mMCC initiating 1L avelumab were identified from The US Oncology Network electronic health record database and chart review. Median overall survival and progression-free survival were not reached in laMCC (n = 9) vs 20.2 and 10.0 months in mMCC (n = 19); response rates were similar (66.7% vs 63.2%). This is the first study to show clinical benefit in patients with laMCC receiving 1L avelumab in a US real-world setting. Response rates in patients with mMCC were consistent with pivotal trials.