Narrowband Ultraviolet B Phototherapy of Early Stage Mycosis Fungoides in Korean Patients

Abstract

BackgroundNarrowband UVB (NBUVB) is currently used to treat early mycosis fungoides (MF). There are a number of reports on the efficacy and safety of NBUVB in Caucasians, but little data is available for Asians.ObjectiveThis study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of NBUVB for early stage MF in Korean patients.MethodsWe enrolled 14 patients (12 men, 2 women; age range, 10~64 years) with clinically and histologically proven MF. Three patients were stage IA, and the others were stage IB. The patients received NBUVB phototherapy three times a week. The starting dose was 70% of the minimal erythema dose and was increased in 20 percent increments if the previous treatment did not cause erythema. Clinical response, total number of treatments, total cumulative dose, duration of remission and side effects were investigated.ResultsEleven of 14 patients (78.6%) achieved complete remission within a mean of 15.36±5.71 weeks (range, 5~27 weeks), 31.0±7.4 treatments (range, 16~39 treatments) and a mean cumulative UVB dose of 31.31±12.16 J/cm2 (range, 11.4~46.8 J/cm2). Three of the 14 patients (21.4%) achieved a partial remission. After discontinuation of treatment, 6 of 11 patients (54.5%) with complete remission relapsed after a mean of 8.5±4.09 months. No serious adverse effects were observed except for hyperpigmentation (7/14, 50%).ConclusionOur data suggest that NBUVB therapy is safe and effective for the treatment of early stage MF in Korean patients.

Interventions for mycosis fungoides: critical commentary on a Cochrane Systematic Review

“…The reported rate of complete response to NB-UVB in stage I disease ranged from 50% to 82%. [27][28][29][30][31][32] These rates are similar to the effectiveness of PUVA when assessed in comparable studies. [33][34][35][36] For solitary or discrete lesions, single-dose local radiation is another treatment option, which was recently reported to have an 85% complete response in 58 patients with 270 lesions (94% lesional response rate) at a median follow-up of 41Á3 months.…”

“…Based on those reports, the overall response rate (including complete and partial clearance) to NB‐UVB for stage I disease is 83–100%, and 88–90% in stage I–IIA MF, without severe adverse reactions. The reported rate of complete response to NB‐UVB in stage I disease ranged from 50% to 82% . These rates are similar to the effectiveness of PUVA when assessed in comparable studies …”

Evaluation of Long Term Prognosis in Patients Treated with Narrowband Ultraviolet B: A Retrospective Study for 8 Years

“…In a study with 14 patients, complete remission was observed at a rate of 78.6%, and relapse was reported in 54.5% of these patients which is consistent with our study. 17 In another study, recurrence was observed in 3 of 8 patients, and the extent of lesions in one of these patients was associated with relapse. 18 Ponte et al reported a higher rate of relapse (83.3%) than that in our study.…”

Efficacy and Side Effects of Narrowband-UVB in Early Stage Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma in Jordanian Patients

“…While some authors believe that clinical stage of CTCL is more important than skin phototype in determining the response to NB-UVB, others have doubts about the effectiveness of NB-UVB in dark-skinned patients because of the photoprotective function of melanin [10]. …”