Chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy may be recommended if the skin lymphoma has spread. Drugs used for these lymphomas in the skin are not the same as drugs used for other skin cancers.
- Some chemotherapy drugs are given as pills, to be taken by mouth. Others are given intravenously, through a needle in a vein (IV). Useful drugs include Acitretin, Chlorambucil, or Gemcitabine.
- Radiation therapy to affected areas of the skin may be used at the same time.
- Treatment of stages I and II may be a chemotherapy agent applied to the skin. For skin lymphomas, the main chemotherapy drug used on the skin is Nitrogen Mustard (Mechlorethamine) ointment.
- Another treatment option for stages I or II can be ultraviolet light therapy (PUVA), using a drug (Psoralen) to make the lymphoma cells sensitive to the light.
- External treatments for lymphomas of the skin are not the same as treatments used on other skin cancers.
- Radiation therapy of the involved part of the skin is usually very effective.
- Radiation therapy to the whole skin surface may be used if external skin treatments are not effective.
Surgery is not used to treat skin lymphomas, although a surgical biopsy (sample) of the area might be used to understand the stage of it.
General Treatment Information
In recent years, much progress has been made in treating skin lymphoma, and several newer types of treatment have come into use. Once a skin lymphoma is found and staged, your health care team will discuss your treatment options with you. The treatment options for a person with skin lymphoma depend on the kind of lymphoma and its stage, as well as other factors such as your overall health. Of course, no two patients are exactly alike, and treatment options are tailored to each patient’s situation.
Several types of treatment can be used against skin lymphoma. These can generally be divided into:
- Treatments directed only at the skin
- Treatments that can affect the whole body (systemic treatments)
Based on your treatment options, you may have different types of doctors on your treatment team. These doctors may include:
- A dermatologist: a doctor who treats diseases of the skin
- A hematologist: a doctor who treats disorders of the blood, including lymphomas
- A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines
- A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy
It is important to discuss all of your treatment options and their possible side effects with your doctors to help make the decision that best fits your needs. It’s also very important to ask questions if there is anything you’re not sure about.