Primary cutaneous lymphoma: local control and survival in patients treated with radiotherapy.

Background: The treatment of primary cutaneous lymphoma is still ongoing and the role of radiotherapy, as exclusive or combined modality, is not yet clear.

Materials And Methods: From 1994 to June 2004, 29 patients with cutaneous B-cell lymphoma and 9 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma were treated by radiotherapy (median dose of 3900 cGy, range 600-4600 cGy). Eight patients had previously received chemotherapy.

Results: The complete response rate was 94.7% with progressive disease in two patients (5%). Sixteen (42.1%) patients relapsed, with the relapse occurring only in the skin site as single episode (9 patients) and more than two episodes (7 patients). The 5-year overall survival and event-free survival were 94% and 53%, respectively.

Conclusion: Radiotherapy offers a substantial local control of primary cutaneous lymphoma, both as exclusive or combined approach. The patients with wide-spread or multiple lesions, usually candidates for radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are amenable to radiotherapy alone.