KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of combining IFN α-2a with phototherapy for early-stage MF.
- The results revealed that combining IFN α-2a with phototherapy could present a potentially effective and safe alternative for early-stage MF treatment.
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the undisputed champion regarding prevalence among cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cases. It accounts for roughly one-third of all diagnosed cases. This dominance is undeniable. However, it’s important to remember that other subtypes exist, including Sezary syndrome and follicular MF.
Hongbin Song and the team aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of combining interferon (IFN) α-2a with phototherapy for early-stage MF.
About 13 individuals diagnosed with early-stage MF underwent subcutaneous injections of IFN α-2a at 3 million IU combined with phototherapy three times weekly for 6 months. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated through assessments of changes in body surface area (BSA) score and modified severity-weighted assessment tool (mSWAT) score at 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. Histopathologic examinations of skin lesions were conducted before and after the treatment period.
The results revealed that after 3 months of treatment, all 13 patients achieved a partial response, and BSA and mSWAT scores were significantly lower than those at baseline (P< 0.001). Following 6 months of treatment, BSA and mSWAT scores remained significantly lower than baseline (P< 0.001) and after 3 months (P< 0.05).
About 11 patients attained complete remission, with two achieving a partial response, resulting in an overall response rate of 100%. Histopathologic examination demonstrated a notable decrease in the number of atypical lymphocytes in both the epidermis and dermis. No severe adverse effects were reported.
The study concluded that combining IFN α-2a with phototherapy could represent a potentially effective and safe alternative treatment option for early-stage MF.
Funding was provided by the National High-Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding and the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation to Tao Wang.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38754985/
Song H, Hu Z, Zhang S, et al. (2024). “Effectiveness and safety of interferon α-2a combined with phototherapy for patients with early-stage mycosis fungoides – a single-arm prospective study in 13 patients.” J Dermatolog Treat. 2024 Dec;35(1):2350231. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2024.2350231. Epub 2024 May 16. PMID: 38754985.
