A Randomized Trial Comparing Combination Electron-Beam Radiation and Chemotherapy with Topical Therapy in the Initial Treatment of Mycosis Fungoides

Abstract

Mycosis fungoides is a T-cell lymphoma that arises in the skin and progresses at highly variable rates. Nonrandomized studies have suggested that early aggressive therapy may improve the prognosis in this usually fatal disease. We studied 103 patients with mycosis fungoides, who, after complete staging, were randomly assigned to receive either combination therapy, consisting of 3000 cGy of electron-beam radiation to the skin combined with parenteral chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, and vincristine (n = 52) or sequential topical treatment (n = 51). The prognostic factors were well balanced in the two groups.