Low-dose skin electron beam therapy improves skin QOL in mycosis fungoides

Low-dose skin electron beam therapy using a rotational technique demonstrates a very high overall response rate and an improvement in skin-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with mycosis fungoides, the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, reports a recent study.

“Low-dose rotational total skin electron beam therapy can be implemented routinely in clinical practice,” the investigators said.

In this study, the investigators prospectively examined the durability of response and QOL for patients receiving low-dose total skin electron beam therapy using a novel rotational technique and dosing regimen. Patients completed the baseline Skindex-29 QOL surveys, and their baseline Modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool score was recorded.

Participants received 12 Gy in 12 fractions with a dual-field rotational technique. Their overall response rate was the primary outcome, while secondary ones were time to treatment response, duration of clinical benefit, and QOL change.

Twenty patients participated in this study and recorded an overall response rate of 90 percent. The median time to treatment response was 6.5 weeks. The Modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool score at baseline was 55.6, which declined to a median of 2.2 at last follow-up (p<0.001), while the median duration of clinical benefit was 21 months.

Finally, a decline was observed in the Skindex-29 total score and every subdomain when comparing each follow-up visit (p=0.004).

“Low-dose total skin electron beam therapy provides a durable treatment response for skin lesions caused by cutaneous T-cell lymphoma,” the investigators said.