The efficacy of long-term psoralen plus ultraviolet A and low-dose interferon-a combination therapy in mycosis fungoides: A literature review


ŞANLI H., YILDIZHAN İ., GÜNDÜZ K., AKAY B. N.

PHOTODERMATOLOGY PHOTOIMMUNOLOGY & PHOTOMEDICINE, cilt.40, sa.4, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
  • Cilt numarası: 40 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/phpp.12991
  • Dergi Adı: PHOTODERMATOLOGY PHOTOIMMUNOLOGY & PHOTOMEDICINE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, BIOSIS, MEDLINE
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background/PurposeInterferon (IFN)-a is often used in combination with psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) in patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) refractory to skin-targeted therapies in early or advanced stages. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of combined PUVA and low-dose IFN-alpha-2a therapy in patients with early- and advanced-stage MF. MethodsSixty-eight patients who received a combination of PUVA twice or thrice a week and INF-a 3 MU thrice a week for at least 3 months were reviewed retrospectively. The treatment response was evaluated as complete remission (CR), partial remission, stable disease, or progression. ResultsAt the initiation, the majority of patients (66.2%) had early-stage disease. In 27.9% of cases, this was the initial treatment administered following the diagnosis of MF. The median duration of combination therapy was 11 months. Complete remission was achieved in 45.6% of the patients with an overall response rate of 60.3%. The mean duration of response was 5 months. Complete remission was statistically significantly higher in early-stage patients (p < .05). No statistically significant correlation was observed between CR and gender, histopathological features, or laboratory parameters. In patients with CR, 80% experienced relapse, significantly higher in early-stage patients (p < .05). However, there was no significant difference in disease-free survival between early and advanced stages (p > .05). ConclusionsThe study results indicated that PUVA + low-dose INF-a combination therapy was more effective in the early stage than in the advanced stage. Additionally, there was a high relapse rate after the cessation of treatment in patients who achieved CR.