The efficacy of long‐term psoralen plus ultraviolet A and low‐dose interferon‐a combination therapy in mycosis fungoides: A literature review

Abstract

AbstractBackground/PurposeInterferon (IFN)‐a is often used in combination with psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) in patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) refractory to skin—targeted therapies in early or advanced stages. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of combined PUVA and low‐dose IFN‐α‐2a therapy in patients with early‐ and advanced‐stage MF.MethodsSixty‐eight patients who received a combination of PUVA twice or thrice a week and INF‐a 3 MU thrice a week for at least 3 months were reviewed retrospectively. The treatment response was evaluated as complete remission (CR), partial remission, stable disease, or progression.ResultsAt the initiation, the majority of patients (66.2%) had early‐stage disease. In 27.9% of cases, this was the initial treatment administered following the diagnosis of MF. The median duration of combination therapy was 11 months. Complete remission was achieved in 45.6% of the patients with an overall response rate of 60.3%. The mean duration of response was 5 months. Complete remission was statistically significantly higher in early‐stage patients (p < .05). No statistically significant correlation was observed between CR and gender, histopathological features, or laboratory parameters. In patients with CR, 80% experienced relapse, significantly higher in early‐stage patients (p < .05). However, there was no significant difference in disease‐free survival between early and advanced stages (p > .05).ConclusionsThe study results indicated that PUVA + low‐dose INF‐a combination therapy was more effective in the early stage than in the advanced stage. Additionally, there was a high relapse rate after the cessation of treatment in patients who achieved CR.