title: Radiation Therapy for Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas.
abstract: Radiation therapy is an extraordinarily effective skin-directed therapy for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Lymphocytes are extremely sensitive to radiation and a complete response is generally achieved even with low doses. Radiation therapy has several important roles in the management of mycosis fungoides. For the rare patient with unilesional disease, radiation therapy alone is potentially curative. For patients with more advanced cutaneous disease, radiation therapy to local lesions or to the entire skin can effectively palliate symptomatic disease and provide local disease control. Compared with other skin-directed therapies, radiation therapy is particularly advantageous because it can effectively penetrate and treat thicker plaques and tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC BOX 3085, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tandberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC BOX 3085, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Craciunescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC BOX 3085, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Electronic address: christopher.kelsey@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Chris R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kelsey
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D054446:Lymphoma, Primary Cutaneous Anaplastic Large Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000379:methods
keywords: CD30(+) lymphoproliferative disorders; Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; Mycosis fungoides; Radiation therapy; Total skin electron beam therapy