title: Role of radiation therapy in mycosis fungoides refractory to systemic therapy.
abstract: The long natural history of early stage mycosis fungoides (MF) makes its management a difficult problem. Skin lesions are sensitive to different therapies and a variety of treatment modalities have been used, such as topical nitrogen mustard, puvatherapy, UV-B, retinoids, radiation therapy, extracorporal photopheresis and systemic chemotherapy. For patients with refractory early stage MF, treatment selection is made by clinical parameters such as the age, sex and performance status of the patients, as well as the institutional expertise and the toxicity profiles of the different therapeutic approaches. We report radiation therapy in a relapsed/resistant stage IB patient with mycosis fungoides treated with local radiation therapy for symptomatic progression unresponsive to bexarotene therapy. Total skin electron beam therapy has been employed in early stage and for limited skin failure MF, while the role of local radiation therapy in MF is less defined. In our experience local radiotherapy has proved to be a very efficient, tolerable and cost effective approach in patients with MF unresponsive to systemic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Radiotherapy, University of Rome "La Sapienza", S. Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa 1035, Italy. dsvita@libero.it
authors.forename: Vitaliana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Sanctis
authors.forename: Severino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Persechino
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fanelli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valeriani
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bracci
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Arienzo
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Monarca
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caperchi
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raffa
authors.forename: Riccardo Maurizi
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Enrici
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077610:Bexarotene; D018450:Disease Progression; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; D000077610:Bexarotene