BACKGROUND. Lymphomatoid papulosis is a primary cutaneous, CD30 positive ly
mphoproliferative disorder with the potential to transform into systemic, m
alignant lymphoma. Therapeutic strategies for patients with lymphomatoid pa
pulosis have been designed to prevent transformation but have proved to be
either inefficacious or limited by side effects.
METHODS. The authors compared the clinical, histologic, and immunohistochem
ical features from a group of five patients receiving interferon-alpha (IFN
-alpha) subcutaneously three times per week with the same features from a g
roup of six patients receiving conventional therapy, including photochemoth
erapy, antibiotics, topical corticosteroids, or surgery, in an open trial.
RESULTS. In the IFN-alpha group, four patients showed a complete remission,
and one patient showed a partial remission within a time period of 6 weeks
. Two patients developed disease recurrences after discontinuation of short
term IFN-alpha therapy (5-7 months). Thereof, one patient went into stable
remission after long term IFN-alpha therapy (17 months), and one patient r
emains in partial remission. In the control group, one patient went into sp
ontaneous remission, two patients showed partial remission, of which one pa
tient developed progressive disease at a later time point, whereas three pa
tients have recurrent disease despite of treatment.
CONCLUSIONS. The current results indicate that the treatment with IFN-alpha
of patients with lymphomatoid papulosis alters the clinical course of the
disease with fewer side effects than previous regimens; however, short term
treatment does not induce stable remission. Therefore, prolonged treatment
appears to be warranted for these patients. Cancer 2000;89:1603-10. (C) 20
00 American Cancer Society.