Experience With Bexarotene to Treat Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas: A Study of the Spanish Working Group of Cutaneous Lymphomas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bexarotene has been approved to treat advanced stage cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) since 1999. However, very few data have been published on its long-term safety and efficacy profile. The aim of this study is to determine the tolerability to bexarotene and outcomes by collecting the 2nd largest case series to date on its long-term use vs CTCL. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a multicenter retrospective review of 216 patients with mycosis fungoides (174), or Sézary syndrome (42) on a 10-year course of bexarotene alone or in combination with other therapies at 19 tertiary referral teaching hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 133 men (62%) and 83 women (38%) were included, with a mean age of 63.5 year (27-95). A total of 45% were on bexarotene monotherapy for the entire study period, 22% started on bexarotene but eventually received an additional therapy, 13% were on another treatment but eventually received bexarotene while the remaining 20% received a combination therapy since the beginning. The median course of treatment was 20.78 months (1-114); and the overall response rate, 70.3%. Complete and partial response rates were achieved in 26% and 45% of the patients, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated, being the most common toxicities hypertriglyceridemia (79%), hypercholesterolemia (71%), and hypothyroidism (52%). No treatment-related grade 5 adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms bexarotene is a safe and effective therapy for the long-term treatment of CTCL.

Experience With Bexarotene to Treat Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas: A Study of the Spanish Working Group of Cutaneous Lymphomas. / [Artículo traducido] Experiencia con bexaroteno en linfoma cutáneo de células T: un estudio del Grupo Español de Linfomas Cutáneos (GELC).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bexarotene has been approved to treat advanced stage cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) since 1999. However, very few data have been published on its long-term safety and efficacy profile. The aim of this study is to determine the tolerability to bexarotene and outcomes by collecting the 2nd largest case series to date on its long-term use vs CTCL. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a multicenter retrospective review of 216 patients with mycosis fungoides (174), or Sézary syndrome (42) on a 10-year course of bexarotene alone or in combination with other therapies at 19 tertiary referral teaching hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 133 men (62%) and 83 women (38%) were included, with a mean age of 63.5 year (27-95). A total of 45% were on bexarotene monotherapy for the entire study period, 22% started on bexarotene but eventually received an additional therapy, 13% were on another treatment but eventually received bexarotene while the remaining 20% received a combination therapy since the beginning. The median course of treatment was 20.78 months (1-114); and the overall response rate, 70.3%. Complete and partial response rates were achieved in 26% and 45% of the patients, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated, being the most common toxicities hypertriglyceridemia (79%), hypercholesterolemia (71%), and hypothyroidism (52%). No treatment-related grade 5 adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms bexarotene is a safe and effective therapy for the long-term treatment of CTCL.

Characteristics, Management, and Prognostic Implications of Adverse Effects of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review. / Revisión sistemática de los efectos adversos cutáneos causados por fármacos inhibidores de los puntos de control inmunitario: características, manejo y pronóstico.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly advanced the treatment of cancer. They are not, however, free of adverse effects. These effects are called immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and often involve the skin. Most of the information on cutaneous irAEs comes from clinical practice. We therefore conducted a thorough review of the characteristics of cutaneous irAEs, recommendations for treatment, and their association with prognosis. The most common events are exanthema, pruritus, vitiligo, and hair loss, although ICIs can cause a wide range of cutaneous dermatoses. The reported association observed between certain reactions and a favorable response to cancer treatment should be interpreted with caution. Dermatologists should be involved in the multidisciplinary care of patients being treated with ICIs as they have an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous irAEs.

Cutaneous Pseudolymphomas. / Pseudolinfomas cutáneos.

The term cutaneous pseudolymphoma refers to benign reactive lymphoid proliferations in the skin that simulate cutaneous lymphomas. It is a purely descriptive term that encompasses various reactive conditions with a varied etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, histology, and behavior. We present a review of the different types of cutaneous pseudolymphoma. To reach a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to contrast clinical, histologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular findings. Even with these data, in some cases only the clinical course will confirm the diagnosis, making follow-up essential.

Calciphylaxis: Risk Factors and Histologic Findings in a Case Series From a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital. / Calcifilaxis: factores de riesgo y hallazgos histológicos en una serie de casos de un hospital terciario.

Recent years have seen important advances in our understanding of calciphylaxis, especially regarding newly identified risk factors and histologic findings that may aid diagnosis. This retrospective study of cases of calciphylaxis treated in our hospital in the last 13 years focuses on newly revealed aspects of this disease. We describe 16 patients (62.5% women; mean age, 67.9 years). In addition to advanced kidney disease (in 75% of our patients), other factors associated with the presence of calciphylaxis were a history of treatments related to phosphorus and calcium metabolism (75%) and anticoagulation (62.5%), usually with vitamin-K antagonists. Histology showed alterations in elastic fibers in only 25% of the biopsy specimens. Eleven of the patients died: sepsis was most often the cause.

Revisión sistemática de los efectos adversos cutáneos causados por fármacos inhibidores de los puntos de control inmunitario: características, manejo y pronóstico / Characteristics, Management, and Prognostic Implications of Adverse Effects of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review

Los fármacos inhibidores de los puntos de control inmunitario han supuesto un importante avance en el tratamiento oncológico. Sin embargo, su uso no está exento de reacciones no deseadas, denominadas efectos adversos inmunorrelacionados, siendo los cutáneos particularmente frecuentes. El conocimiento que tenemos sobre los efectos adversos inmunorrelacionados cutáneos procede fundamentalmente de la práctica clínica. Por lo tanto, en este trabajo se revisan en detalle sus características, así como las recomendaciones sobre su tratamiento y sus implicaciones pronósticas. Los más frecuentes son el exantema, el prurito, el vitíligo y la alopecia; sin embargo, estos fármacos pueden producir una amplia variedad de dermatosis. La asociación observada entre ciertos tipos de reacciones cutáneas con una respuesta oncológica favorable al tratamiento debe interpretarse con cautela. El dermatólogo ha de participar en el cuidado multidisciplinar de estos pacientes, pues desempeña un papel fundamental en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de estas reacciones cutáneas adversas (AU)

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly advanced the treatment of cancer. They are not, however, free of adverse effects. These effects are called immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and often involve the skin. Most of the information on cutaneous irAEs comes from clinical practice. We therefore conducted a thorough review of the characteristics of cutaneous irAEs, recommendations for treatment, and their association with prognosis. The most common events are exanthema, pruritus, vitiligo, and hair loss, although ICIs can cause a wide range of cutaneous dermatoses. The reported association observed between certain reactions and a favorable response to cancer treatment should be interpreted with caution. Dermatologists should be involved in the multidisciplinary care of patients being treated with ICIs as they have an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous irAEs (AU)

[Translated article] Characteristics, Management, and Prognostic Implications of Adverse Effects of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review / Revisión sistemática de los efectos adversos cutáneos causados por fármacos inhibidores de los puntos de control inmunitario: características, manejo y pronóstico

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly advanced the treatment of cancer. They are not, however, free of adverse effects. These effects are called immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and often involve the skin. Most of the information on cutaneous irAEs comes from clinical practice. We therefore conducted a thorough review of the characteristics of cutaneous irAEs, recommendations for treatment, and their association with prognosis. The most common events are exanthema, pruritus, vitiligo, and hair loss, although ICIs can cause a wide range of cutaneous dermatoses. The reported association observed between certain reactions and a favorable response to cancer treatment should be interpreted with caution. Dermatologists should be involved in the multidisciplinary care of patients being treated with ICIs as they have an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous irAEs (AU)

Los fármacos inhibidores de los puntos de control inmunitario han supuesto un importante avance en el tratamiento oncológico. Sin embargo, su uso no está exento de reacciones no deseadas, denominadas efectos adversos inmunorrelacionados, siendo los cutáneos particularmente frecuentes. El conocimiento que tenemos sobre los efectos adversos inmunorrelacionados cutáneos procede fundamentalmente de la práctica clínica. Por lo tanto, en este trabajo se revisan en detalle sus características, así como las recomendaciones sobre su tratamiento y sus implicaciones pronósticas. Los más frecuentes son el exantema, el prurito, el vitíligo y la alopecia; sin embargo, estos fármacos pueden producir una amplia variedad de dermatosis. La asociación observada entre ciertos tipos de reacciones cutáneas con una respuesta oncológica favorable al tratamiento debe interpretarse con cautela. El dermatólogo ha de participar en el cuidado multidisciplinar de estos pacientes, pues desempeña un papel fundamental en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de estas reacciones cutáneas adversas (AU)

Calcifilaxis: factores de riesgo y hallazgos histológicos en una serie de casos de un hospital terciario / Calciphylaxis: Risk Factors and Histologic Findings in a Case Series From a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital

En los últimos años se han producido importantes avances en el conocimiento de la calcifilaxis, al haberse identificado nuevos factores de riesgo para su desarrollo, y hallazgos histológicos que podrían ser de ayuda al diagnóstico. Nuestro propósito al realizar este estudio ha sido revisar retrospectivamente los casos de calcifilaxis atendidos en nuestro hospital en los últimos 13 años, con especial atención a los aspectos más novedosos de esta patología. Se incluyó un total de 16 pacientes, 62,5% mujeres, con edad media de 67,9 años. Entre los factores asociados destacaron, aparte de la enfermedad renal avanzada (75%), los tratamientos relacionados con el metabolismo fosfocálcico (75%) y la anticoagulación (62,5%), en su mayoría con fármacos antagonistas de la vitamina K. En el estudio histológico se hallaron alteraciones en las fibras elásticas solo en un 25% de las biopsias. Once de los pacientes han fallecido, siendo la sepsis la primera causa de muerte (AU)

Recent years have seen important advances in our understanding of calciphylaxis, especially regarding newly identified risk factors and histologic findings that may aid diagnosis. This retrospective study of cases of calciphylaxis treated in our hospital in the last 13 years focuses on newly revealed aspects of this disease. We describe 16 patients (62.5% women; mean age, 67.9 years). In addition to advanced kidney disease (in 75% of our patients), other factors associated with the presence of calciphylaxis were a history of treatments related to phosphorus and calcium metabolism (75%) and anticoagulation (62.5%), usually with vitamin-K antagonists. Histology showed alterations in elastic fibers in only 25% of the biopsy specimens. Eleven of the patients died: sepsis was most often the cause (AU)