title: Treatment of indolent primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas with subcutaneous interferon-alfa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interferon-alfa is used in the treatment of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL). Therapy with interferon-alfa has thus far been reported solely in case reports and small case series, mostly describing intralesional use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate efficacy, response rate, time to response, duration of response, and safety of subcutaneously administered interferon-alfa for the treatment of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective chart analysis of patients given the diagnosis of PCBCL and treated with interferon-alfa subcutaneously at a tertiary referral center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients with indolent subtypes of PCBCL were identified. The overall response rate was 66.7%; all responding patients went into complete remission. Response was not significantly associated with the maximum tolerated dose. Within the median follow-up time of 40 months, 90% of the responders experienced a relapse; median duration of response was 15.5 months. Adverse events were predominantly mild and in no case led to cessation of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retrospective nature of the analysis and small number of patients because of scarcity of the disease are limitations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of indolent PCBCL with subcutaneously injected interferon-alfa demonstrated good response rates and tolerability. Response was not dose dependent. Relapses were observed in nearly all responding patients raising the question of interferon-alfa maintenance therapy in PCBCL.
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Centre Charité, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: staffan.vandersee@charite.de.
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vandersee
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Centre Charité, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Centre d'Immunologie Marseille-Luminy, INSERM-CNRS-Université de la Mediterannée, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Terhorst
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Centre Charité, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Humme
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Centre Charité, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha
keywords: follicle center lymphoma; interferon-alfa; marginal zone B-cell lymphoma; primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma; systemic treatment