Home: About Cutaneous Lymphoma
Glossary of Terms
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Alemtuzumab: a monoclonal antibody directed against CD52, a antigen (or marker) found on both B and T lymphocytes. The drug is used most often to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia and has been used in the treatment of advanced CTCL. (Campath® is the brand name for Alemtuzumab.) read more...
BCNU: A chemotherapy agent that is used topically in CTCL. (Also known as carmustine.) read more...
bexarotene: Medications in both capsule and gel forms that have been shown to be effective in treating CTCL. (Targretin® [tar-GRET-in] is a name brand of bexarotene [beks-AIR-oh-teen]). read more...
biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues, which are then examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Campath®: a monoclonal antibody directed against CD52, a antigen (or marker) found on both B and T lymphocytes. The drug is used most often to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia and has been used in the treatment of advanced CTCL. (Campath® is the brand name for Alemtuzumab.) read more...
carmustine: A chemotherapy agent that is used topically in CTCL. (Also known as BCNU.) read more...
clinical trials: Studies that investigate different therapies or combinations of treatments in order for researchers to improve the best treatment options for patients. They are an important part of the process of understanding diseases, and have been instrumental in providing information to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of new therapies. read more...
cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL): A is a general term for many lymphomas of the skin including mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, lymphomatoid papulosis, cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, lymphomatoid granulomatosis, granulomatous slack skin disease, and pagetoid reticulosis to name a few. All cases of mycosis fungoides are CTCL, but not all CTCLs are mycosis fungoides. read more...
electron beam therapy: A form of radiation therapy that only treats the superficial portions of the skin. It is highly effective in clearing all forms of lesions of CTCL from the skin. Also known as TSEB. read more...
interferon: A systemic therapy that has been shown to be very effective in treating CTCL. (Intron® and Roferon are name brands of interferon.) read more...
Intron®A: A systemic therapy that has been shown to be very effective in treating CTCL. (Intron® is a name brand of interferon.) read more...
Lymphomatoid Papulosis (LyP): A lymphatic system disorder that manifests itself in self-healing nodules and papules ("bumps" and "spots") that come and go spontaneously. LyP has been known to inexplicably turn itself off, and then turn itself back on again. It looks like cancer and can act like cancer, but frequently and for no reason, it suddenly disappears of its own accord for weeks or months at a time before reactivating. See LyP Fast Facts.
Matrex®: A chemotherapy that is given as a treatment for some types of cancer. (Matrex® is a name brand of methotrexate.) read more...
mechlorethamine: A medication used topically to treat CTCL. Also known as topical nitrogen mustard. read more...
methotrexate: A chemotherapy that is given as a treatment for some types of cancer. (Matrex® is a name brand of methotrexate.) read more...
mustargen: A medication used topically to treat CTCL. Also known as mechlorethamine. read more...
mycosis fungoides (MF):An old term for the most common type of CTCL. It is a low-grade lymphoma which primarily affects the skin. Generally it has a slow course and often remains confined to the skin. Over time, in about 10% of the cases, it can progress to the lymph nodes and internal organs. read more...
nitorgen mustard (NM): A medication used topically to treat CTCL. Also known as mechlorethamine. read more...
Ontak®: A medication used in the treatment of CTCL. read more...
pentostatin: A medication used in the treatment of CTCL. read more...
photopheresis: An immunotherapy. It is a three to five hour procedure in which a portion of a patient's blood is taken out through the vein and the white blood cells are treated with PUVA phototherapy, after which they are then reinfused into the vein. read more...
phototherapy: A form of skin-directed therapy that uses various forms of ultraviolet light and is often effective in clearing CTCL in its earliest stages, when the disease is confined to the skin (Stage I-A, I-B, II-A, II-B). Forms of phototherapy include PUVA, broadband UVB, and narrowband UVB. read more...
PUVA: A phototherapy treatment that uses Psoralens (P) in combination with ultraviolet light (UVA). Psoralens make the skin sensitive to the UVA. It is used to treat various skin disorders. read more...
Roferon: A systemic therapy that has been shown to be very effective in treating CTCL. (Roferon is a name brand of interferon.) read more...
Sézary syndrome: The leukemic variant of CTCL. Patients usually present with SS, but rarely patients with early stage mycosis fungoides develop SS. The presenting features of SS include widespread redness and scaling of the skin (erythroderma), often with severe itching. Lymph nodes are enlarged and the malignant T-cells found in the skin are also found circulating in the bloodstream. read more...
stem cell therapy: A therapy used in experimental stages in the treatment of CTCL. read more...
systemic chemotherapy: A chemotherapy with single agents along with combination chemotherapy are usually reserved for advanced stages (Stage III and IV) that are recalcitrant to other forms of therapy. read more...
Targretin®: Targretin® (tar-GRET-in) is a name brand of the medication bexarotene (beks-AIR-oh-teen). It is available in capsule and gel form. read more...
topical nitrogen mustard: A medication used topically to treat CTCL. Also known as mechlorethamine. read more...
topical steroids: High potency topical steroids have been shown to have activity in CTCL, and induce clearing in early stage disease (Stage I-A and I-B). Topical steroids are easy to apply and are not associated with many complications like those seen with other skin based treatments for CTCL. read more...
TSEB: A form of radiation therapy that only treats the superficial portions of the skin. It is highly effective in clearing all forms of lesions of CTCL from the skin. Also known as electron beam therapy. read more...
UVB, broadband: A form of phototherapy uses ultraviolet light. read more...
UVB, narrowband: A form of phototherapy that concentrates ultraviolet output in a narrow range. It can be an effective treatment for patch-stage CTCL as well as other skin diseases. read more...
