CTCL Management
First, work with the experts
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) affects each person differently. You may notice changes in your skin, but not all changes in your disease can be easily noticed. Carefully monitor your health by going to routine checkups with your team of specialists.
By going to a treatment center, you have access to multiple specialists who manage CTCL.
Specialists who manage CTCL at treatment centers
Dermatologist
A skin specialist who can help you better manage the effects of CTCL on your skin
Hematologist/oncologist
A physician who specializes in cancers that affect blood cells like CTCL
Radiation oncologist
A cancer specialist who is an expert in treating cancers with radiation treatment
Social worker
A professional who can help you navigate the emotional, social, and financial challenges of CTCL
Psychiatrist/psychologist
A mental health specialist who can help you learn how to emotionally cope with CTCL
Nurse
A healthcare professional who can help with symptom and side effect management, and is a source of support
CTCL treatment options
While there is generally no cure for CTCL, there are therapies that can help you and your doctor manage your disease. The main therapeutic approaches fall into 3 categories: skin-directed treatments, systemic treatments, and combination of systemic and skin-directed treatments. Always consult with your healthcare provider on the best treatment option for you.
Explore each option
Phototherapy
Phototherapy
A skin-directed therapy that uses UV light to help control symptoms or problems caused by CTCL on the skin
Topical drugs
Topical drugs
A skin-directed therapy that helps manage itching, lesions, and other skin-related symptoms of CTCL—includes steroids, topical chemotherapy, nitrogen mustard, retinoids, and others
Systemic therapy
Systemic therapy
Taken by mouth or IV infusion so the treatment can spread throughout the body; includes treatments that kill abnormal T-cells (eg, retinoids, extracorporeal photopheresis), treatments that help your body’s immune system slow or stop disease progression (eg, interferon), treatments that target specific molecules (eg, histone deacetylases), and chemotherapy—these treatments may be used alone or in combinations
Allogeneic stem cell transplant
Allogeneic stem cell transplant
Although uncommon, this is another type of systemic treatment. This treatment can potentially offer a cure. It is an uncommon CTCL treatment and this approach may only be used in some people, usually following intense anticancer treatment. In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, stem cells are collected from the bone marrow or blood of a healthy donor and transplanted to provide new and healthy cells.
Clinical trial
Clinical trial
Research studies that test experimental options to see how well they work; sometimes, these studies may offer an option that is appropriate for you
Supportive care
Supportive care
Treatments that may help relieve some of the symptoms of CTCL, such as itchiness, as well as therapies to prevent infection
Take action by talking to your doctor
If your treatment isn’t doing enough or causing intolerable side effects, talk to your care team and let them know that something needs to change.
Our doctor discussion guide can help you start that conversation.
Download the doctor discussion guide and print it out to bring with you to your next appointment.
We want to hear from you
Giving you the right information about CTCL is important to us. Take this simple poll and tell us what you think.
You're not the only one learning about CTCL
- Person living with CTCL
- Caregiver/partner
- Friend
- Healthcare provider
Who are you?
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Every person's journey with CTCL is different
- Early-stage MF
- Advanced-stage MF
- SS
- Other
What stage are you?
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What types of treatments have you tried?
(Select all that apply)
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If CTCL changes, your treatment approach may also change
- Skin-directed
- Pills
- Injection
- IV infusion
How often do you make it a point to check your CTCL?
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Staying ahead of CTCL means staying on top of symptoms
- Rarely
- When my skin is bothering me
- Every month
- During check-ups
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