The efficacy of vorinostat in combination with interferon alpha and extracorporeal photopheresis in late stage mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

Long-term survival for advanced stages of mycosis fungoides (MF) may be beneficially affected by the use of multimodality therapy. We aim to evaluate the activity of vorinostat in combination with interferon (IFN) alpha and extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) with persistent, progressive advanced stage MF and Sezary syndrome (SS).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Three patients with stage IIB-IVA MF/SS were treated with vorinostat 400 mg/day/po. Vorinostat was added to ongoing ECP and IFN-alpha-2a therapies in all three patients.

RESULTS

The patient with stage IIB MF achieved a complete response. The patient with SS showed a stable disease of less than 50 percent improvement in body surface area with reduction in the sizes of axillary and inguinal lymph nodes. A partial remission was maintained for 24 weeks in the patient with stage IVA MF, followed by rapid disease progression under treatment which led to cessation of vorinostat treatment due to study criteria as well as serious side effects.

CONCLUSION

Our experience in this case series is suggestive of the synergistic effect of vorinostat in combination with IFN and ECP and supports the efficacy of vorinostat in inducing prolonged responses in patients with progressive disease and/or stable disease in otherwise progressive and treatment refractory late stage MF/SS.