Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL) Cancer Includes Mycosis Fungoides And Sézary Syndrome

(Posted by Tom Lamb at Drug Injury Watch)

A growing body of medical evidence showing an association between Dupixent and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has given rise to Dupixent drug injury lawsuits being filed on behalf of patients diagnosed with this CTCL cancer on their skin.

This April 2024 medical article, “Dupilumab treatment for atopic dermatitis linked to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma development“, published online by Healio, presented some findings from a recent study that showed patients using Dupixent (dupilumab) for treatment of their atopic dermatitis had an increased risk for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). It started with this summary:

Key takeaways:

— [Dupixent (dupilumab)]-treated patients with AD were 4.1003 times more likely to develop cutaneous T-cell lymphoma vs. those who were not [Dupixent (dupilumab)]-treated.

— Most cases were diagnosed more than 1 year after [Dupixent (dupilumab)] use.

[Emphasis added]

The complete findings from that Dupixent – CTCL study were reported in this medical journal article, “Dupilumab therapy for atopic dermatitis is associated with increased risk of cutaneous T cell lymphoma: A retrospective cohort study“, published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in their August 2024 print edition.

The following basic information about cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) comes from the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation website.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is the most common type of cutaneous lymphoma, and typically presents with red, scaly patches or plaques on the skin. Itching is common, with more than 80% of people with CTCL reporting they have itch. CTCL often mimics eczema, psoriasis, or other chronic dermatitis, and because of this it’s common that the diagnosis of CTCL is delayed, sometimes by years or decades….

Cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL) make up about 20-25% of all cutaneous lymphomas, and are cancers that develop from skin-based B-cells. There are 3 main types of CBCL; primary cutaneous follicle center (“follicular”) lymphoma, primary cutaneous marginal zone (“MALT”) lymphoma, and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL, “leg type”) lymphoma. Primary cutaneous follicle center and primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphomas are the most common forms of CBCL, and are slow growing or indolent types that respond well to mild treatments.

That website provides additional detailed information about two forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome.

From their Mycosis Fungoides page:

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Although the terms MF and CTCL are often used interchangeably, this can be a source of confusion. All cases of MF are CTCL, but not all CTCL cases are MF.

Mycosis fungoides follows a slow, chronic (indolent) course and very often does not spread beyond the skin.

In about 10% of cases, MF can progress to lymph nodes and internal organs. Symptoms of MF can include flat, red, scaly patches, thicker raised lesions called plaques, and sometimes large nodules called tumors. MF can look like other common skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, and might be present for years or even decades before it’s diagnosed as CTCL. The disease can progress over many years, often decades.

And from their Sézary Syndrome page:

Sézary syndrome is a leukemic form of CTCL, and distinguished from mycosis fungoides by the presence of cancerous lymphocytes in the blood.

Most patients with Sézary syndrome have extensive red, itchy rash covering at least 80 percent of the body. In some cases, thicker, red patches (or plaques) and tumors may also appear. In addition, these symptoms may be accompanied by changes in the nails, hair, eyelids, and the presence of enlarged lymph nodes.

There are about 3,000 new cases of CTCL each year in the U.S. and approximately 15 percent of those are diagnosed as Sézary syndrome. Although Sézary syndrome can affect people of any age, Sézary syndrome is most common in adults ages 50 and over, and is slightly more common in men than women.

We are currently investigating possible Dupixent drug injury lawsuits for patients who were diagnosed with a type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), such as mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome, after they started using Dupixent.

These Dupixent drug injury lawsuits would be filed against the pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and Regeneron, the manufacturers of Dupixent, based on the allegation that Sanofi and Regeneron failed to warn patients and doctors about the possible increased risk of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Feel free to submit a Drug Injury Case Evaluation Form online or call 910-256-2971 if we can assist you with a possible Dupixent drug injury lawsuit.

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