Symptoms of CTCL vary from person to person. For many people, the first signs of CTCL are dry skin, itching, and a red rash.
Some people may see dark patches on their skin, or the skin may appear red. Red patches or raised areas called plaques may be visible, and these can cause scaling on the surface of the skin. These patches and/or plaques may cover a small or a large area of the body.
Many people develop breaks in the skin—called fissures—that are slow to heal and may become infected.
Some people may develop bumps or tumors, either at the beginning of the disease or later on. In more advanced stages of CTCL, skin tumors may turn into ulcers.3
Some—but not all—people experience itching, which can be severe and can make sleeping difficult.
Some patients may develop enlarged lymph nodes, caused by the abnormal T cells that collect in the nodes. In advanced stages of disease, the abnormal T cells may spread to other areas of the body, such as the liver, spleen, or intestines.3
CTCL symptoms typically move through several phases, as shown in the accompanying photos:9
Patch CTCL
Plaque CTCL
Tumor phase of CTCL
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Indications
Methoxsalen Sterile Solution is indicated for extracorporeal administration with the THERAKOS™ UVAR XTS® or THERAKOS™ CELLEX® Photopheresis System in the palliative treatment of the skin manifestations of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) that is unresponsive to other forms of treatment.
Methoxsalen is not appropriate for patients who have had a reaction to psoralen compounds, patients who have had a light sensitive disease, or patients with an absence of one or both lenses of the eye.
THERAKOS™ Photopheresis is not appropriate for patients who cannot tolerate blood volume changes or patients with blood clotting disorders. See Important Safety Information for additional details.
