Low-dose high-dose-rate brachytherapy in the treatment of facial lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: The use of many of the standard skin-directed mycosis fungoides (MF) therapies on facial skin may be limited by site-specific increased risks of side effects, excessive inflammation, and ocular toxicity.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to describe the levels of erythema, scale, and induration of facial lesions in MF before and after low-dose high-dose-rate surface applicator brachytherapy and to examine the overall clinical response to brachytherapy.

METHODS: A total of 23 facial MF lesions in 10 patients were treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy doses of 4 Gy per session for a total of 2 fractions at our multidisciplinary cutaneous oncology clinic between August 17, 2009, and March 12, 2012.

RESULTS: In all 23 lesions, dramatic clinical improvement was observed. Patients were followed up for a median of 6.3 months. No recurrences were reported in the follow-up period.

LIMITATIONS: Long-term follow-up is lacking. Reassessment of all included patients at annual intervals for a period of at least 5 years is the authors' goal.

CONCLUSION: Low-dose high-dose-rate brachytherapy using custom-made surface molds is a highly efficacious therapy in the treatment of facial lesions in MF.