Prognostic factors in Sézary syndrome: a multivariate analysis of clinical, haematological and immunological features.

Background: Sézary syndrome (SS) prognostic factors are not well defined because of the rarity of this disease. The specific goal of this prospective study was to assess by multivariate analysis the predictive value with respect to survival of a series of clinical, haematological and immunological parameters taken at SS diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: A cohort of 62 SS patients diagnosed and followed since 1975 was examined, and 51 were included in the multivariate analysis model.

Combination of etoposide, idarubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone and bleomycin (VICOP-B) in the treatment of advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Background: Response of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) to systemic chemotherapy is unsatisfactory: despite an initially high response rate (RR), duration is always short-lived.

Objective: To investigate the capability of a third-generation regimen including idarubicin in improving RR and response duration in CTCL patients.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with advanced CTCL (stages IIB and IV) were treated with a 12-week polychemotherapeutic regimen (VICOP-B), which foresees the use of idarubicin in association with etoposide, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone and bleomycin.

[Psychiatry and dermatologic neoplasms: results of an experimental study].

Psycho-oncology has developed during the past decades in the area of medical oncology directly involved in the study of the psychological aspects of cancer. In this study the authors focused in particular on the psychopathological complications of dermatological cancer, the discovery of a possible history of psychiatric disorders prior to the diagnosis of the tumour, the predictive value of the latter concerning further psychiatric complications during cancer, and lastly the possible correlations between stress and the onset of cancer and between religious belief and adaptive strategies. A total of 30 patients suffering from dermatological neoplasia were examined within the setting of a Psychiatric Liaison Service.

Low-dose integrated chemoimmuno-hormonotherapy with cisplatin, subcutaneous interleukin-2, alpha-interferon and tamoxifen for advanced metastatic melanoma--a pilot study.

Recently, Khayat et al. reported that high-dose recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) i.v.

Adjuvant therapy of stage IIIb melanoma with interferon alfa-2b: clinical and immunological relevance.

Background: The poor prognosis of stage IIIb melanoma (5-year survival: 36%) shows the need for effective adjuvant therapy to prolong disease-free survival.

Objective: The feasibility and efficacy of interferon alfa-2b (IFN-alpha) therapy in stage IIIb melanoma patients was investigated.

Methods: alpha-IFN was given at a dose of 3 MU i.

Therapy for metastatic melanoma: effective combination of dacarbazine, carmustine, cisplatin and tamoxifen.

Thirty-two patients with metastatic melanoma received combination chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Treatment included Carmustine, Cisplatin, Dacarbazine and Tamoxifen (BCDT). The overall response rate was 47%: five patients had a complete response (16%), 10 patients had a partial response (31%) and two had no response (6%).

Thymopentin in Sézary syndrome.

Background: Response to the treatment of Sézary syndrome (a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma) is poor. Since patients with this syndrome are elderly, aggressive chemotherapy is poorly tolerated and deep immunodepression may result in fatal opportunistic infections. Immunomodulating therapy seems important in the management of Sézary syndrome.

BANS: a discussion of the problem.

The significance of the BANS location (upper Back, posterior Arm, Neck and Scalp) as a prognostic factor in patients with stage I melanoma is controversial. A meta-analysis performed by Weinstock et al. on their own and five comparable studies corroborated the hypothesis that this location is influential in the prognosis of intermediate thickness (0.

Phase II trial of recombinant alpha-2b interferon in the treatment of metastatic skin melanoma.

A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate toxicity and activity of recombinant alpha-2b interferon in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Interferon was administered at the dosage of 10 x 10(6) IU/m2, 3 times a week i.m.

Immunomodulation and Sézary syndrome: experience with thymopentin (TP-5).

The clinical, histological and immunological effects of long-term treatment with thymopentin (TP-5), administered 50 mg i.v. three times a week on alternate days, in four patients with Sézary syndrome is reported.

Changes in T and B lymphocyte subpopulations before, during and after chemotherapy for malignant melanoma.

The behaviour of T and B lymphocyte subpopulations before, during and after chemotherapy with DTIC or CCNU was studied in 87 melanoma patients. The effect on immune status of DTIC administered as adjuvant therapy was also reported. The immunosuppressive effect was found to be higher in patients with normal pretreatment T-cell values than in patients with low pretreatment values, and it was higher in metastatic than in nonmetastatic patients.