Emerging drugs in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
Mycosis fungoides (MF) represents the most common type of primary cutaneous T cell-lymphomas (CTCL), which are characterized by a clonally proliferation of malignant CD4+ lymphocytes in the skin.


OBJECTIVE
Skin-directed treatment regimens, like phototherapy and corticosteroids, are commonly used in early stages; systemic treatments and chemotherapies are used in advanced stages. Because conventional treatments usually end in a transient remission without curative results, there is a high need for new therapeutic strategies with acceptable side effects.


METHODS
Literature and reference research was done by using the data bank PubMed, and updates of ongoing studies were taken out of ASCO and ASH annual meeting abstracts.


CONCLUSIONS
This article gives an overview of the various medications in current use, with emphasis on emerging drugs with novel therapeutic targets.
Mestel
Dominik Sebastian
DS
Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Skin Cancer Center, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charitéplatz 1, DE-10117 Berlin, Germany.
Assaf
Chalid
C
Steinhoff
Matthias
M
Beyer
Marc
M
Moebs
Markus
M
Sterry
Wolfram
W
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D010789:Phototherapy; D012074:Remission Induction
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids