title: Survival of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma after treatment with extracorporeal photochemotherapy.
abstract: Few studies have assessed the long-term outcome of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) treated with extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP). Our objective was to assess the efficacy, safety, and survival of a cohort of patients with refractory CTCL in stages Ib to III who were treated with ECP. A retrospective study was performed. Twenty patients (19 male, 1 female) aged 38 to 87 years with CTCL of the mycosis fungoides type (n=17) and primary cutaneous Ki-1 lymphoma (n=2) were treated twice a month. Sixteen had an adjunctive treatment with interferon alpha (IFN alpha) s.c. 3 times a week in the maximal tolerable dosage (i.e. up to 21x106). A complete response was achieved in 10 patients, a partial response in three and a stable disease in seven patients (response rate 65.0%). The overall survival was 29.4+/-16.0 months, the event-free survival was 26.2+/-12.4 months, and the progression-free survival was 23. 4+/-12.2 months. Four patients died of causes unrelated to CTCL and two patient died of CTCL. Median survival time was 26 months. No severe side effects were noted. ECP is a safe alternative therapy for CTCL. In particular when combined with IFN alpha it can induce long-term remissions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, D-07740 Jena, Germany. uwol@derma.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wollina
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liebold
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaatz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Looks
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stuhlert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017893:Photopheresis / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins