Standard and new treatments in cutaneous B-cell lymphomas.

BACKGROUND: Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCL) are cutaneous non-Hodgkin lymphomas and can be classified clinically and by prognosis. The aim of this paper is to perform a review of standard and new treatments.

METHOD: This paper provides a literature review of the different treatments of PCBCL.

RESULTS: Surgery and radiotherapy remain the standard therapies in isolated cutaneous lesions. Systemic or intralesional interferon (IFN)-alpha may be an alternative in PCBCL with diffuse cutaneous lesions. In aggressive forms with poor prognosis, polychemotherapy is the first line of treatment although rituximab and radioimmunotherapy are evolving therapeutic options.

CONCLUSION: In the majority of cases, the treatment of CBCL is straightforward. In aggressive forms, new therapies and biologic therapies may be of real interest.