For patients with early-stage cutaneous lymphoma, skin-directed treatments, such as topical steroids and phototherapy, can slow or halt progression, but patients are also being treated with systemic therapies, according to the first-of-its kind research on this rare malignancy.

For decades, immunotherapy has been a cornerstone of systemic therapy for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). It is therefore not surprising that modern immune-therapies, which target anti-tumor immunity in more sophisticated ways, have the potential to greatly improve our treatments for CTCL. 

These are exciting times in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) research. The hard work of laboratory and clinical investigators worldwide is starting to bear fruit, and a number of basic discoveries in the genetic and epigenetic foundations of CTCL are now being translated into novel therapies, with great impact for patients.

In a world that has 7,000 known rare diseases, with only 5% having any treatment available, the future of discovery and new treatment development in cutaneous lymphoma is promising. There is much hope for a brighter future for everyone living with this condition.