Quality-of-life improvements in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients treated with denileukin diftitox (ONTAK (R)) CLINICAL LYMPHOMA Duvic, M., Kuzel, T., Olsen, E. A., Martin, A. G., Foss, F. M., Kim, Y. H., Heald, P. W., Bacha, P., Nichols, J., Liepa, A. 2002; 2 (4): 222-228

Abstract

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) can be associated with painful, pruritic, disfiguring lesions. As part of a multicenter, randomized phase III trial in patients with heavily pretreated advanced and/or recurrent CTCL, the effects of an interleukin-2 receptor-targeted fusion protein, denileukin diftitox (DAB389IL-2, ONTAK), on patient-rated overall quality of life (QOL), skin appearance, and pruritus severity were evaluated. A total of 71 patients with stage IB-IVA CTCL received intravenous denileukin diftitox 9 microg/kg/day or 18 microg/kg/day over 15-60 minutes for 5 consecutive days on an outpatient basis; cycles were planned for every 21 days for a total of 8 cycles over 6 months. Prior to each treatment cycle, patients were evaluated for disease response and were asked to self-rate their overall QOL via the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire, skin appearance (7-point scale), and pruritus severity (10-cm visual analogue scale). Composite FACT-G and most individual subscale scores (physical, social/family, emotional, and functional well being) in documented responders (n = 21) gradually increased during the study period, generally reaching statistical significance (P < 0.05) by cycle 3, and were significantly (P < or = 0.041) higher than the scores of nonresponders at endpoint. Additionally for responders, assessments of skin severity and pruritus severity showed significant (P < or = 0.05) improvements at study endpoint compared with baseline. Adverse transfusion-related events (eg, hypersensitivity reactions, flu-like syndrome) were common during cycles 1 and 2, and vascular-leak syndrome occurred in 25% of patients. Denileukin diftitox was not associated with any clinically significant myelosuppression. Heavily pretreated patients with advanced and/or recurrent CTCL who responded to denileukin diftitox therapy showed significant improvements in self-rated overall QOL, skin appearance, and pruritus severity.

View details for Web of Science ID 000174903400007

View details for PubMedID 11970761