Experience With Bexarotene to Treat Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas: A Study of the Spanish Working Group of Cutaneous Lymphomas

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Bexarotene has been approved to treat advanced stage cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) since 1999. However, very few data have been published on its long-term safety and efficacy profile. The aim of this study is to determine the tolerability to bexarotene and outcomes by collecting the 2nd largest case series to date on its long-term use vs CTCL.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

This was a multicenter retrospective review of 216 patients with mycosis fungoides (174), or Sézary syndrome (42) on a 10-year course of bexarotene alone or in combination with other therapies at 19 tertiary referral teaching hospitals.

RESULTS

A total of 133 men (62%) and 83 women (38%) were included, with a mean age of 63.5 year (27-95). A total of 45% were on bexarotene monotherapy for the entire study period, 22% started on bexarotene but eventually received an additional therapy, 13% were on another treatment but eventually received bexarotene while the remaining 20% received a combination therapy since the beginning. The median course of treatment was 20.78 months (1-114); and the overall response rate, 70.3%. Complete and partial response rates were achieved in 26% and 45% of the patients, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated, being the most common toxicities hypertriglyceridemia (79%), hypercholesterolemia (71%), and hypothyroidism (52%). No treatment-related grade 5 adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms bexarotene is a safe and effective therapy for the long-term treatment of CTCL.

Blistering and aggressive paniculite cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is characterized by atypical T-cells expressing the α/β T-cell receptor in the subcutaneous fat. Although it is usually indolent, some cases can show an aggressive course. It is usually a disease of the middle-aged, but can rarely affect children.

CASE REPORT

We describe the case of a 12-year-old male, previously healthy, who presented a dermatosis disseminated to the four segments consisting of vesicles, blisters, erythematous and hematonecrotic plaques, atrophic scars, associated with edema. The biopsy confirmed limited cutaneous panniculitic T-cell lymphoma with extensive epidermal necrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the case of a SPTCL in a child. Although rare in this age group, the diagnosis should be considered in children who present similar conditions and who do not respond to treatment. Diagnosis is made on clinical suspicion and confirmed by histology. We discuss the challenges in its management and how timely diagnosis influences patient survival.

[Papular mycosis fungoides in elderly: Report of two cases]

Papular mycosis fungoides (MF) is an uncommon clinical variant of early MF without prognostic implications that follows an indolent course over years. It is characterized by the presence of multiple, small, pruritic, flat-topped, erythematous papules, often presenting as a nonspecific papular eruption which makes early diagnosis difficult. We describe two cases of elderly patients with papular MF, a probably underdiagnosed entity, which causes a significant deterioration in quality of life of patients who may benefit from specific treatments such as phototherapy.

[Thyroid and lipidic dysfunction associated with bexarotene in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Bexarotene is a synthetic selective X receptor rexinoide approved for the systemic treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. During treatment is very frequent the occurrence of hypothyroidism and severe mixed hyperlipidemia, both are reversibles and dose-dependent adverse events. Increase of triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol level (up to even higher levels have been associated with pancreatitis in some cases) is widely described (as is the case with other retinoids) but decrease in HDL-cholesterol is poored know. We review our experience with the use of bexarotene.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We present a serie of 3 clinical report of patients treated with bexarotene in whose, in addition to these well-known adverse event, a serious lowering of HDL-cholesterol was observed.

RESULTS

The 3 patients studied had metabolic complications like central hypothyroidism and severe mixed hyperlipidemia; with special emphasis on the sharp fall (mean decrease>83%) in the HDL-cholesterol level. Cholesterol lowering medication and substitutive hormonal replacement with levotiroxine resulted in an improvement of the biochimical parameters without reaching the correct goals.

CONCLUSIONS

Bexarotene produce as predictable side effects severe mixed hyperlipidemia with marked decrease in HDL-cholesterol levels and central hypothyroidism, being the both reversible and dose-dependent. A reflection on the possible aetiological mechanisms and implications of this phenomenon are included.