Phase II trial of interferon-α-2a plus psolaren with ultraviolet light A in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

✍ Scribed by Vanna Chiarion-Sileni; Antonio Bononi; Cleto Veller Fornasa; Mariella Soraru; Mauro Alaibac; Eros Ferrazzi; Roberta Redelotti; Andrea Peserico; Silvio Monfardini; Luigi Salvagno

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 85 KB
• Volume: 95
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.10706

✦ Synopsis

Purpose:

To evaluate the efficacy and side effects of psolaren with ultraviolet light a (puva) and interferon-alpha-2a (ifn-alpha-2a) in patients with mycosis fungoides (mf) and sézary syndrome (ss).

Patients and methods:

From may 1993 to january 1999, 63 symptomatic patients with all stages of mf and ss were treated in a prospective phase ii trial with systemic escalating doses of ifn-alpha-2a combined with puva for 1 year, followed by indefinite puva maintenance in complete responding patients.

Results:

Sixty-three patients were enrolled (stage ia, n = 6; ib, n = 37; iia, n = 3; iib, n = 3; iii, n = 12; iva, n = 2). ten patients had received previous therapy. the median follow-up duration for the entire cohort is 37 months. of 63 patients, 51 achieved a complete response (cr; 74.6%) or partial response (pr; 6%) to therapy. the median response duration is 32 months. the 5-year overall survival rate is 91% and the 5-year disease-free survival rate is 75%. no life-threatening side effects were observed. five patients stopped ifn-alpha-2a therapy due to toxicity. eighty-four percent of the patients received more than 75% of the planned dose (12 million units three times a week).

Conclusions:

This combination of ifn-alpha-2a and phototherapy is an effective and safe therapy for patients with symptomatic mf.