Cutaneous T-cell Lymphomas: A Single-center Retrospective Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are rare diseases characterized by infiltration of malignant T-cells into the skin. We evaluated the prevalence, epidemiology, and therapy of CTCLs, focusing on its most well-known subtypes, namely mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical data of patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of CTCL presenting to our outpatient department during a 5-year period from January 2015 to December 2019. RESULTS: We evaluated the files of 102 patients, of whom 67% were men and 33% women. The overall mean age was 59.1±14.1 (24-86) years. Ninety-two patients (90%) were diagnosed with MF and ten patients (10%) with SS. According to ISCL/EORTC, the majority of patients initially classified as stage IA (34%) and IB (45%). Disease frequency decreased at advanced stages (II: 4%; III: 7%; IV: 10%). Forty-five patients (44.1%) received only skin-directed therapy (SDT). Twenty patients (19.6%) progressed from SDT to systemic therapy (ST). Thirty-seven patients (36.3%) received ST combined with SDT (TS) from the start of treatment. Overall, fifty different therapeutic approaches of TS were initiated due to lack of response to therapy or disease progression. CONCLUSION: Management of CTCLs aims to maintain patient quality of life while minimizing side-effects. As CTCLs are usually incurable diseases, the focus of treatment is on symptom control and prevention of disease progression. Due to the large patient group and the long observation period, our study allows for a valid evaluation of the frequency and therapy of MF and SS in a university outpatient clinic in Germany. We favor topical therapies in early stages with more invasive therapies in advanced stages.

The Sexual Behavior and Protective Conduct among University Students in Germany - Chances and Approaches to Tackle Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Background: Current case numbers of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Germany are continuously increasing. Young adults aged 19-29 appear to be especially at risk and are therefore the demographic of ever-growing importance for future prevention work. Objective: The aim of the survey was to analyze awareness and protective behavior regarding sexually transmitted infections with a major focus on condom-usage by university students in Germany. Method: The collection of data was based on the conduction of a cross-sectional survey for students of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the Technical University Munich, and the University of Bavarian Economy. The survey was distributed via the professional online survey tool "Soscy" and was thus performed completely anonymized. Results: Within this study, a total of 1,020 questionnaires were collected and consecutively analyzed. In terms of knowledge about human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), over 96.0% of participants were aware that vaginal intercourse can be a source of transmission for both sex partners and that condom use can be preventive. In contrast, 33.0% were unaware that smear infections constitute a crucial transmission route of human papillomaviruses (HPV). Concerning protective behavior, 25.2% either rarely or did not use a condom in their sexual history, even though 94.6% agreed that condoms protect against STIs. Conclusion: This study outlines the importance of education and prevention work that focuses on STIs. Results might reflect effectiveness of previous education efforts made by several prevention campaigns targeting HIV. On the downside, knowledge of other pathogens that establish STIs appears worthy of improvement, especially considering the partially risky sexual behavior observed. Therefore, we see a strong need to reform education, guidance, and prevention strategies in a way that emphasizes not only all pathogens and connected STIs equally, but also a differentiated presentation of sexuality providing appropriate protection strategies for everyone.