Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma (PTCL)

T-lymphocyte (right),
platelet (center), red blood cell (left)

Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma (PTCL) is a sub-type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It is an aggressive, high-grade type of cancer. It generally has a poor prognosis, but may respond better to treatment than indolent, low-grade lymphoma.

Incidence

Only 15% of non-Hodgkins lymphoma patients have a PTCL subtype, the disease is more common in adults than children. Because Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma is aggressive, treatment is imperative to quality of life and survival.

Treatment

Currently, the treatments available for PTCL are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, steroids, and bone marrow transplant. One treatment has been approved by the FDA for initial treatment of PTCL, although there currently is no gold-standard treatment for use in recurring PTCL.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials for recurring PTCL should be seen as an treatment option for as they allow patients to receive treatment which have been established as safe for humans, but are still undergoing studies to see how well they work.

Follow this link to identify a conveniently located cancer treatment center and begin the process of enrollment.

Belinostat

Belinostat is one drug being offered in clinical trials for PTCL. Common side effects of belinostat therapy include fatigue, nausea and vomiting. However, it has shown no toxicity to patients’ bone marrow which is the biggest limitation in of other successful chemotherapy combinations.