Kelly Tyler

Cutaneous Lymphoma International Consortium Study of Outcome in Advanced Stages of Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome: Effect of Specific Prognostic Markers on Survival and Development of a Prognostic Model

PURPOSE Advanced-stage mycosis fungoides (MF; stage IIB to IV) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are aggressive lymphomas with a median survival of 1 to 5 years. Clinical management is stage based; however, there is wide range of outcome within stages. Published prognostic studies in MF/SS have been single-center trials. Because of the rarity of MF/SS, only a large collaboration would power a study to identify independent prognostic markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS Literature review identified the following 10 candidate markers: stage, age, sex, cutaneous histologic features of folliculotropism, CD30 positivity, proliferation index, large-cell transformation, WBC/lymphocyte count, serum lactate dehydrogenase, and identical T-cell clone in blood and skin. Data were collected at specialist centers on patients diagnosed with advanced-stage MF/SS from 2007. Each parameter recorded at diagnosis was tested against overall survival (OS). RESULTS Staging data on 1,275 patients with advanced MF/SS from 29 international sites were included for survival analysis. The median OS was 63 months, with 2- and 5-year survival rates of 77% and 52%, respectively. The median OS for patients with stage IIB disease was 68 months, but patients diagnosed with stage III disease had slightly improved survival compared with patients with stage IIB, although patients diagnosed with stage IV disease had significantly worse survival (48 months for stage IVA and 33 months for stage IVB). Of the 10 variables tested, four (stage IV, age > 60 years, large-cell transformation, and increased lactate dehydrogenase) were independent prognostic markers for a worse survival. Combining these four factors in a prognostic index model identified the following three risk groups across stages with significantly different 5-year survival rates: low risk (68%), intermediate risk (44%), and high risk (28%). CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this study includes the largest cohort of patients with advanced-stage MF/SS and identifies markers with independent prognostic value, which, used together in a prognostic index, may be useful to stratify advanced-stage patients.

Pregnancy and dermatologic therapy

Dermatologists should be familiar with medication safety in pregnancy to be able to prescribe safely and confidently to pregnant women or women who may become pregnant during the course of treatment for dermatologic conditions. Topical medications should be considered first-line therapy for pregnant women, but certain systemic medications are safe to use in pregnancy and may be prescribed if necessary. Dermatologic surgery may be performed during the second trimester of pregnancy with proper positioning, but elective procedures should be delayed until the postpartum period.

Contraception and the dermatologist.

Contraceptives are pertinent to dermatologists in 3 major instances: (1) prescribing combined oral contraceptives for the treatment of acne; (2) ensuring that women being treated with potential teratogens are on adequate contraception; and (3) counseling female patients regarding contraceptives that can worsen acne. Most modern combined oral contraceptives will benefit acne; however, there are some agents that may be more effective than others, primarily because of the progestin used in the agent. Long-acting reversible contraceptives should be first line for women on teratogenic medications, but some of these agents can worsen acne because they release progestins.

Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma: Management and Patterns of Recurrence at the Multimodality Cutaneous Lymphoma Clinic of The Ohio State University

BACKGROUND The increasing incidence of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) presents new challenges for clinicians. Despite advances in the clinical and pathologic characterization of PCBCL, the significance of the current staging approach as a risk profiling tool and the effect of various treatments on outcome remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed patients who presented with a diagnosis of PCBCL seen at The Ohio State University between 1998 and 2012. We reviewed the initial presentation and treatment modality. We then assessed whether the treatment modality (conservative skin-directed vs. definitive radiation with or without systemic therapy), stage (T1 or ≥T2), or histologic subtype (primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma [PCFCL] vs. primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma [PCMZL]) affected the risk of recurrence. RESULTS We identified 67 patients referred with an initial diagnosis of PCBCL. After imaging, 12 did not meet the criteria for PCBCL and were classified as having systemic B-cell lymphoma with cutaneous involvement. The remaining 55 patients included 25 with PCMZL, 24 with PCFCL, 2 with primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma leg type, and 4 with unclassifiable disease. According to the International Society of Cutaneous Lymphoma-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer staging, 30 cases were T1 (55%), 14 T2 (25%), and 11 T3 (20%). Comparing the time to first recurrence (TFR) by indolent PCBCL subtypes, we found no difference in the recurrence risk for either stage (T1, p = .51 vs. T2/T3, p = .30). Comparing TFR by treatment modality, we found no difference in TFR within T1 patients (p = .34) or T2/T3 patients (p = .44). CONCLUSION Our limited analysis highlights the importance of complete staging at diagnosis and suggests that the treatment modality does not affect the risk of recurrence in T1 indolent PCBCL.

Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma-like Presentations of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma: A T-Cell Lymphoma Masquerading as a B-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorder.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is the second most common type of peripheral T-cell lymphoma worldwide, and in some countries, it is the most common form. Clinically, AITL usually presents with systemic symptoms, diffuse lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and common laboratory abnormalities such as hypergammaglobulinemia. Rashes are seen in 50%-80% of patients. AITL derives from follicular T-helper cells (TFH), that express germinal center markers and produce hyperactivation of B-cells seen in AITL. Although the histological features of AITL in the skin could be similar to pathological findings present in lymph node biopsies, herein, we present 2 cases of AITL with histological and immunophenotypic features that were somewhat suggestive of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma. Caution is urged to exclude the possibility of a systemic T-cell lymphoma such as AITL in cutaneous and lymph node B-cell proliferations.

Current and potential immune therapies and vaccines in the management of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune skin disease associated with significant morbidity. Development of psoriasis is influenced by numerous genes, one allele is HLA-CW*0602. Other genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms affect immunologic pathways and antimicrobial peptide synthesis. Dendritic cells initiate psoriasis by activating T-cells toward a Th1 and Th17 response, with increased cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, -12, -17, -22, and -23. IL-22 appears to promote keratinocyte dedifferentiation and increased antimicrobial peptide synthesis while TNF-α and IL-17 induce leukocyte localization within the psoriatic plaque. These recent insights identifying key cytokine pathways have led to the development of inhibitors with significant efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis. While a strategy for vaccine modulation of the immune response in psoriasis is in progress, with new technology they may provide a cost-effective long-term treatment that may induce tolerance or targeted self-inhibition for patients with autoimmune disorders, such as psoriasis.

Radiation recall dermatitis associated with nivolumab for metastatic malignant melanoma.

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The Role of an Integrated Multidisciplinary Clinic in the Management of Patients with Cutaneous Lymphoma

The clinical benefit of a multidisciplinary clinic practice model has been well described in a variety of medical specialties and cancer types. It proves particularly valuable when an integrated team is needed to optimally manage patients with rare or complex neoplasms. However, the ideal implementation of an integrated multidisciplinary care program for translational research and education has not been well reported. Herein, we propose how a multimodality cutaneous lymphoma (CL) clinic model can optimally manage CL patients. We offer our perspective on this model as an efficient means for delivering patient care, a continuing education resource for referring physicians, a conduit for translational and clinical research, and an educational tool for medical students, house staff, and fellows.