Gemcitabine for CTCL – pro
CTCL includes a number of clinical syndromes, the most common of which are mycosis fungoides and the Sézary syndrome. Mycosis fungoides presents with patches, plaques, or tumors. In the initial stages disease is confined to the skin. Sézary syndrome is a leukemic variant of CTCL, characterized by erythroderma (stage T4), lymphadenopathy, pruritus and circulating neoplastic (Sézary) cells (stage B1).
Chemotherapy has a role for palliation in later stages and multiply treated disease. Guidelines list options like Chlorambucil ± prednisone (plus radiotherapy to symptomatic lesions), Acitretin (if the pace of progression is slow), Gemcitabine, and oher systemic therapy. Thus gemcitabine is a guideline approved option for this disease.
Whittaker SJ, Marsden JR, Spittle M, Russell Jones R. Joint British Association of Dermatologists and U.K. Cutaneous Lymphoma Group guidelines for the management of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Br J Dermatol 2003 Dec;149(6):1095-107. [67 references]
http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/HPI/CancerManagementGuidelines/Lymphoma/SkinLymphoma.htm#Cutaneous