Dr. Pinter-Brown on Treating CTCL With Chemotherapy

Video

Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD, from the University of California, Los Angeles, gives an overview of treatment with chemotherapy for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, gives an overview of treatment with chemotherapy for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

If a patient with CTCL has early-stage disease, Pinter-Brown believes that treatment with chemotherapy or a systemic therapy should not be obligated. At this point, treating a patient with chemotherapy may not be in the patient's best interest, Pinter-Brown believes. These patients should be followed closely, to monitor for change.

A diagnosis of mycosis fungoides, the most common form of CTCL, often leads to treatment with CHOP or other chemotherapies, which will elicit a beneficial response. However, the response is generally very short with high toxicity. Pinter-Brown stresses that mycosis fungoides must be treated as a chronic disease, since patients must live with the disease and side effects of treatment. Due to this, quality of life and comfort should always be a priority.

Related Videos
Emmanuel Antonarakis, MD, associate director, Translational Research, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Clark Endowed Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Gautam Jha, MD, medical director, M Health Fairview Masonic Cancer Clinic and the Advanced Treatment Center at the M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center—Minneapolis, chair, cancer committee, M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
Ricardo D. Parrondo, MD, hematologist/oncologist, Mayo Clinic
Ilyas Sahin, MD
Raj Singh, MD
Jaime R. Merchán, MD, professor, co-leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program, director, Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Saad J. Kenderian, MB, CHB
Tycel Phillips, MD
Minesh Mehta, MD
Corey Cutler, MD, MPH, and Hana Safah, MD, experts on GvHD