A brief primer on treatments of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, newly approved or late in development.

Dermatologists use a variety of treatments for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) or mycosis fungoides, in particular topical corticosteroids, psoralen and ultraviolet A phototherapy (PUVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy. Metastatic disease has been treated with radiotherapy, extracorporeal photophoresis, and old line chemotherapy agents such as methotrexate, chlorambucil, purine analogues, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydoxorubicin, oncovin, prednisone (CHOP), and interferon-alpha-2a. This feature will review these new agents including zanolimumab, denileukin diftitox, bexarotene, and vorinostat. Zanolimumab is a human monoclonal antibody that acts as a CD4 antagonist and has been granted orphan drug status in the US and Europe. Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) is a histone deacetylases inhibitor that has recently been approved by the FDA for the treatment of progressive, persistent, or recurrent CTCL on or after 2 systemic therapies have failed. Bexarotene is indicated in CTCL patients who are refractory to at least one prior systemic therapy. Denileukin diftitox is indicated for the treatment of patients with persistent or recurrent CTCL whose malignant cells express the CD25 component of the interleukin-2 receptor.