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Treatment of Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma with Combined Immunomodulatory Therapy: a 14 year experience at a single institution

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Treatment of Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma with Combined Immunomodulatory Therapy: a 14 year experience at a single institution
Karen Suchin MD1
Dermatology Online Journal 7(1):24H

1.Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Extracorporeal photopheresis is an immunomodulatory therapy that prolongs survival and improves quality of life in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Recently, several potent biologic agents with antiproliferative and immunostimulatory activities, including interferon-alpha, interferon-gamma, interleukin-12, GM-CSF, and systemic retinoids, have been added to photopheresis for the treatment of CTCL. However, little is known about the therapeutic effectiveness of a combined approach to this disease.

Our purpose was to determine the efficacy of multimodality biologic response therapy in 47 patients with the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of CTCL, all of whom had circulating, malignant T-cells. A retrospective chart review demonstrated that patients with advanced CTCL receiving treatment with combination immunomodulatory therapy experience high clinical response rates, improved quality of life, and prolonged survival compared with historical controls. These patients may also experience prolonged survival compared with patients receiving photopheresis monotherapy.

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