Immunobiology and treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Introduction: Primary cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL) are a heterogenous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas derived from skin-homing T cells. These include mycosis fungoides and its leukemic variant Sezary syndrome, as well as the CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders.

Areas covered: In this review, we provide a summary of the current literature on CTCL, with a focus on the immunopathogenesis and treatment of mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome.

Expert opinion: Recent advances in immunology have provided new insights into the biology of malignant T cells. This in turn has led to the development of new therapies that modulate the immune system to facilitate tumor clearance or target specific aspects of tumor biology.

Keywords: CTCL; Cutaneous T cell lymphoma; Sezary syndrome; cutaneous oncology; immunotherapy; mycosis fungoides.