Development of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Following Biologic Treatment: A Systematic Review

Background: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma following biologic therapy is extremely rare.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the development of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) following treatment with a biologic agent.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed for patients who developed CTCL after exposure to biologic therapy. Works were limited to English language and excluded animal studies, guidelines, and protocols. Potentially eligible titles were identified using controlled vocabulary in tandem with key words. The search strategy was peer-reviewed prior to execution.

Results: Twenty-eight total studies revealed sixty-two patients who developed CTCL following exposure to a biologic agent. Of these, 44% were Caucasian, and the median age at diagnosis was 56 years. Seventy-six percent of patients received biologic therapy for a primary inflammatory skin condition. Dupilumab was the most reported (42%) agent amongst the cohort. The median time from initiation of the biologic agent to diagnosis of CTCL in these cases was 4 months (range: 0-84). Mycosis fungoides (65%) and Sézary syndrome (10%) were the most common subtypes of CTCL diagnosed. Twenty-one (34%) patients were reported to be alive with disease, outcome was not reported in 21 patients (34%), ten patients (16%) were alive and in complete remission, eight patients (13%) died of disease and two patients (3%) died due to other causes.

Conclusion: While biologic agents may have a role in the development of CTCL, in order to definitively elucidate their role, more methodologically robust studies (such as those that utilize population databases) would need to occur.