title: Aprepitant for refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma-associated pruritus: 4 cases and a review of the literature.
abstract: Aprepitant is an FDA-approved medication for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It blocks substance P binding to neurokinin-1; substance P has been implicated in itch pathways both as a local and global mediator.
  
  
  
  We report a series of four patients, diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, who experienced full body pruritus recalcitrant to standard therapies. All patients experienced rapid symptom improvement (within days) following aprepitant treatment.
  
  
  
  Aprepitant has been shown in small studies to be efficacious for treating chronic and malignancy-associated pruritus. Prior studies have shown no change in clinical efficacy of chemotherapeutics with concurrent aprepitant administration. These cases further demonstrate that aprepitant can be considered as a therapeutic option in malignancy-associated pruritus and further support the need for larger clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.|Center for Head and Neck Cancer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.|Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Johanna S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Center for Cutaneous Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tawa
authors.affiliation: Center for Head and Neck Cancer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.|Center for Cutaneous Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.|Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kupper
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA. NLEBOEUF@partners.org.|Center for Cutaneous Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA. NLEBOEUF@partners.org.|Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA, 02115, USA. NLEBOEUF@partners.org.
authors.forename: Nicole R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: LeBoeuf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077608:Aprepitant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009025:Morpholines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D013373:Substance P / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009025:Morpholines; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; D000077608:Aprepitant; D013373:Substance P
keywords: Aprepitant; Case report; Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; Emend; Itch; Pruritus