The combination of Interferon-α-2b (IFN-α-2b) and phototherapy is highly effective in treating mycosis fungoides (MF) but side effects often lead to discontinuation of therapy.1 The development of pegylated interferon-α-2b (PEG-IFN-α-2b), a modified interferon with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain with 10-fold longer plasma halflife in comparison to IFN-α-2b, showed better tolerability with fewer dose-limiting toxicities than conventional IFN-α-2b. A case report of PEG-IFN-α-2b successfully treating a patient with MF and hepatitis C prompted us to explore the combination of PEG-IFN-α-2b and phototherapy in MF.2 Consistent with this hypothesis, Huesken et al demonstrated high response and increased survival in treatment group with PEG-IFN-α-2b (1.5 μg/kg weekly) plus psoralen with UVA (PUVA) versus IFN-α-2b (9 MIU 3×/week) plus PUVA.3
An open label pilot study was conducted between 2008–2011 in patients with advanced stage MF/SS (stage IIB-IVB) who had ECOG ≤1 and no previous interferon therapy. Five patients with MF [IIB (4/7), IIIB (1/7)] and 2 with Sézary Syndrome (SS) were enrolled with a median age of 58 years (range, 38–79) (Table1). They received PEG-IFN-α-2b at a starting dose of 1.5 μg/kg, administered subcutaneously once weekly with dose escalation up to 9 μg/kg or maximum tolerated dose. PUVA treatment or narrow-band UVB was scheduled three times weekly following the institutional standard protocol. Primary end point was to
An open label pilot study was conducted between 2008–2011 in patients with advanced stage MF/SS (stage IIB-IVB) who had ECOG ≤1 and no previous interferon therapy. Five patients with MF [IIB (4/7), IIIB (1/7)] and 2 with Sézary Syndrome (SS) were enrolled with a median age of 58 years (range, 38–79) (Table1). They received PEG-IFN-α-2b at a starting dose of 1.5 μg/kg, administered subcutaneously once weekly with dose escalation up to 9 μg/kg or maximum tolerated dose. PUVA treatment or narrow-band UVB was scheduled three times weekly following the institutional standard protocol. Primary end point was to
