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Review
. 2022 Nov-Dec;26(6):604-612.
doi: 10.1177/12034754221126119. Epub 2022 Sep 22.

Rituximab Treatment of Primary Cutaneous Follicle Center Lymphoma: A Retrospective Review

Siru Wang  1 , Jonah W Perlmutter  2 , James Johnston  3 , Zoann Nugent  4 , Marni Wiseman  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Rituximab Treatment of Primary Cutaneous Follicle Center Lymphoma: A Retrospective Review

Siru Wang et al. J Cutan Med Surg. 2022 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL) presents only in the skin at the time of diagnosis with no evidence of extracutaneous disease, and primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma (PCFCL) is the most common subtype. There is currently a lack of prospective randomized control trials and large retrospective studies investigating the efficacy of different treatment options for PCFCL. This retrospective study was conducted to describe our local clinical experience and outcomes of patients treated with rituximab-containing regimens.

Objectives: To describe our local clinical experience and treatment outcomes of patients treated with rituximab-containing regimens.

Methods: A retrospective study consisting of 25 PCFCL patients treated with different modalities. Patient records were reviewed and analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier estimation and SAS 9.4 software.

Results: After the initial treatment, all patients had CR except for 1 patient in the observation group. Further, 60% of patients in surgery, 20% in chemoimmunotherapy, 67% in rituximab monotherapy, 33% in steroid injection/systemic prednisone, and 33% in observation experienced a relapse. Although no significant difference was found between treatment groups due to the small sample size, time to relapse trends provides insight into treatment responses. Chemoimmunotherapy had the lowest relapse rate in the first 5 years post-treatment, whereas surgery had a higher tendency to relapse.

Conclusions: Despite the potential for rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapy to yield adverse effects, it is effective in achieving a prolonged clinical remission in patients with PCFCL. It remains a reasonable treatment option for diffuse, extensive, or treatment-resistant disease.

Keywords: chemoimmunotherapy; cutaneous; dermatology; lymphoma; rituximab.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A case of extensive PCFCL involving the forehead and scalp. Abbreviation: PCFCL, primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Patient Treatment Flowchart. Abbreviation: IL, Intralesional.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Kaplan-Meier curve for time to progression survival, showing the estimated time patients in each treatment group remained disease free after CR was first identified. Overall P = .16. Abbreviation: CR, complete response.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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