Total skin electron beam irradiation for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides)

Forty patients with the cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides) were treated with total skin electron beam irradiation. The total follow-up period was up to 116 months (median 57.5 months). The patients were irradiated with a total dose of 35 Gy over 10 weeks, using the six-field technique. Ten of these patients had lymph node involvement and were subsequently treated with chemotherapy. After the initial electron irradiation complete remission of the skin lesions was obtained in 87.5% of the patients. Relapse of skin lesions occurred in 52% of the patients after 2-72 months (median 4 months). Second line therapy consisted primarily of topical nitrogen mustard. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 70%. Despite the side-effects this treatment was tolerated well by all patients.