LaurenPinter-Brown,MD
UCLAMedicalCenter
BeverlyHills,CA
StuartLessin,MD
BrynMawrSkin&
Cancer Institute
Haverford, PA
MichaelW.Young
Carlsbad,CA
MikeSilver
Toronto,ON,Canada
DIRECTORS
StevenHorwitz,MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
CancerCenter
NewYork,NY
JosephEischens, Esquire
Director
Parkville,MO
DavidLamb
Alexandria,VA
BraceKrag
FarHills,NJ
STAFF
HollyPriebe
ChiefOperatingand
FinancialOfficer
Warren,MI
KiraMann
DirectorofDevelopment and
Marketing
FarmingtonHills,MI
DebVanZegeren
Administrativeand
CommunicationsManager
Eastpointe,MI
HilaryRomkey
ProgramManager
Gainesville, FL
5
What isCutaneous
Lymphoma?
Cutaneous lymphomas are
cancers of lymphocytes (white
blood cells) that primarily
involve the skin. Classification
is basedupon lymphocyte
type: B-lymphocytes (B-cell) or
T-lymphocytes (T-cell).
CutaneousT-cell lymphoma
(CTCL) is themost common
typeof cutaneous lymphoma that
typicallypresentswith red, scaly
patches or thickenedplaques of
skin that oftenmimic eczemaor
chronicdermatitis. Progression
from limited skin involvement is
variable andmaybe accompanied
by tumor formation, ulceration,
and exfoliation, complicatedby
itching and infections.Advanced
stages aredefinedby involvement
of lymphnodes, peripheral blood,
and internal organs.
Cutaneous lymphomas affect
thousands of individuals
worldwide. It is estimated that
over 30,000people in theUnited
States alonehavebeendiagnosed
with some formof lymphoma.
The incidenceof cutaneousT-cell
lymphoma in theUnitedStates
is increasingwith approximately
3,000new cases beingdiagnosed
annually.Due to thedifficulty
of diagnosing thedisease in
its early stages and the current
lackof an accurate reporting
system, prevalenceof cutaneous
lymphoma is thought tobemuch
higher.
