ABSTRACT
In Extracorporeal Photochemotherapy (ECP), extracorporeal Psoralen plus UVA therapy of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells is performed. To effect a session of ECP or photophoresis ECP, the peripheral blood would need to be pheresed, returning removed erythrocytes to the patient. Patients with the mycosis fungoides type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) have malignant lymphocytes infiltrating the epidermis and dermis. The photopheresis regimens reflect the schedules in the initial multi-center clinical trial. In that initial study, the erythrodermic form of CTCL was noted to be the variant most responsive to photopheresis. The failing immunity of advancing CTCL is the major reason why traditional high-dose chemotherapy has been unsuccessful in treating CTCL, because it is too toxic. Oral corticosteroids can be palliative in CTCL patients, but their immunosuppressive effects have been shown to negate the therapeutic effects of photopheresis in an experimental model.
