Extracorporeal photopheresis as a curative treatment strategy in non epidermotropic T-cell lymphoma and large granular lymphocyte leukemia

Menée sur 12 patients atteints d'un lymphome non cutané à cellules T ou d'une leucémie à grands lymphocytes granuleux, cette étude évalue l'efficacité d'un traitement par photophérèse extracorporelle

Résumé en anglais

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in noncutaneous T-cell lymphoma and large granular lymphocytes leukemia (LGL).Patients and methods: We have treated 12 refractory/relapsed patients. Six peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), one T-lymphoblastic lymphoma and five LGL with blood involvement received six biweekly leukapheresis as induction phase, followed by one course a week for 4 weeks as consolidation and one course of maintenance per month for responders until progression/relapse or disappearance of the peripheral clone.Results: Six patients responded to phototherapy. Two PTCL and two LGL achieved a complete response (CR) and two other PTCL a partial response. The median duration of CR was 117 months (45–150 months) for these four patients. The peripheral clone followed by flow cytometry decreased in all six responders. Two patients with a complete disappearance of the peripheral clone have not relapsed.Conclusions: As for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, ECP therefore to be efficient for PTCL and LGL. Early decrease and disappearance of the peripheral clone were the indicators of clinical response and nonrelapse, respectively.