TREATMENT OF CUTANEOUS T-CELL LYMPHOMAS

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) show a wide clinical spectrum of cut aneous diseases caused by a clonal proliferation of malignant T-helper cells. In the early stages of CTCL diagnosis is challenging and may r equire a combination of clinical, pathological, immunomorphologic and molecular findings. The identification of early disease is crucial for the rapid implementation of adequate treatment, which may even be cur ative as has been reported with psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA), tot al skin electron beam (TSEB) irradiation and topical chemotherapy. The combination of these treatment modalities with each other and, in add ition, with management by synthetic retinoids and interferons has incr eased the therapeutic potential. Systemic (poly)-chemotherapy has been used so far exclusively for advanced stages of CTCL and may result in partial remission. Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (photopheresis) h as been shown to be the most efficient mode of treatment for the Sezar y syndrome.