Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma: New Therapeutic Strategies

Between 2006 and 2011, four new agents gained regulatory approval for the treatment of relapsed/refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). These new approvals, together with recent advances in both combination chemotherapy and transplant strategies, have made the landscape for treatment of these patients immensely complex. Multiple clinical trials are now underway, evaluating the role of combining new agents with existing drugs and regimens, both for untreated and relapsed/refractory CTCL and PTCL. Pending results of such trials, clinicians are generally left with incomplete data and competing therapies when tasked with the treatment of these patients. In this article, we will briefly review the labeled indications for new agents for CTCL and PTCL, but will focus on data from the last 1 to 2 years, and on data from ongoing clinical trials, with the hope that in doing so we can help elucidate difficult treatment decisions.