A New Medication For T-Cell Lymphoma On The Skin

T-cell lymphoma is a type of non-hodgkin lymphoma that affects the lymphoid tissues, such as the spleen and lymph nodes. Common signs can appear on the skin: raised, scaly, itchy, red patches on the skin, lumps on the skin that can break open or thickening of the skin on the palms of the hands and bottom of the feet.

What Is Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)?

CTCL is a rare type of cancer that begins in white blood cells called T cells (T lymphocytes). These cells normally help your body's germ-fighting immune system. In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, the T cells develop abnormalities that make them attack the skin.

It can be chronic, but it is treatable. Most CTCLs grow slowly and aren't life-threatening, but some can be more aggressive and spread quickly. It is more common in men than women and generally affects people over the age of 60. In the early stages it can be mistaken for eczema. As the disease progresses, it will develop bigger patches of skin that are red and scaly.

A New Way To Treat CTCL

Denileukin diftitox is a new immunotherapy approved by the FDA in August 2024 for CTCL patients with relapsed or refractory disease who have at least received one prior treatment. Findings from the Phase 3 trial (NCT01871727) helped support the approval.

69 patients with stage I-III CTCL were given denileukin diftilox at 9 mcg/kg/day with a median of 6 cycles of treatment. 

• Overall response rate (ORR) was 36.2%.
• Complete response (CR) was achieved by 8.7% of patients.
• Duration of response was at least 6 months for 52%, and 12 months for 20%.
• 70% of patients responded within 1-2 treatments.

What Is Denileukin Diftilox?

Denileukin diftilox is a fusion protein that works by attaching to cancer cells and releasing the toxin into the cytoplasm (the liquid that fills the inside of a cell), which kills the cells. It is used to treat adults with CTCL that has not improved, has gotten worse, or has come back after taking other treatments. It's also being studied as a treatment for other types of cancer.

To closely monitor for side effects, denileukin diftilox is typically administered in a hospital setting.

The most common side effects are:

• Fatigue.
• Fever and chills.
• Nausea.
• Diarrhea, headache and rash.
• Capillary leak syndrome (CLS)- this can happen in up to 25% of patients receiving blood plasma escapes through the capillary walls into surrounding tissues, muscles and organs.

Conclusion

The overall 10-year survival rate for early-stage CTCL is high at 90%, while for late-stage disease, it drops to 53%. Staying on top of new treatment options like denileukin diftilox—now FDA-approved for relapsed or refractory CTCL—can make a meaningful difference. Learning about new therapies gives patients the confidence to advocate for themselves and ask their doctors informed questions about whether they might qualify for cutting-edge treatments. The more patients understand their options, the better equipped they are to partner with their care team and make decisions that support their long-term health and quality of life.

Keep reading more articles like this in our HealthTree News site and stay updated with conferences, FDA approvals and so much more! 

Keep Reading More Articles

Sources: 

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17940-cutaneous-t-cell-lymphoma 
• https://www.targetedonc.com/view/fda-approves-improved-denileukin-diftitox-in-cutaneous-t-cell-lymphoma 
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468024922011949