Objectives: To study the long-term results of treatment of patients with stage IA mycosis fungoides and analyze the factors related to disease progression and the effect of initial therapy on survival and freedom from relapse.
Design: A single-center, 32(1/2)-year, retrospective cohort analysis.
Setting: Private referral medical center.
Patients: One hundred twenty-two patients with clinical stage IA (T1, N0, M0) mycosis fungoides.
Main outcome measures: Long-term actuarial survival and freedom-from-relapse results as calculated by the technique of Kaplan-Meier.
Results: The long-term (30-year) survival of patients with stage IA mycosis fungoides is similar to the expected survival of a race-, age-, and sex-matched control population. The median survival of this group has not been reached at 32(1/2)-years. Eleven patients (9%) who progressed to more advanced disease had a lower complete response rate to initial therapy than did other patients (36% vs 82%) and an older mean age than did other patients with T1 disease (61 vs 48 years, P < .05). Only 3 (2%) of 122 patients died of disease. Among stage IA patients who achieved a complete response, 25% are relapse free at 10 years. Patients who received total skin electron beam therapy (n = 34) had a more favorable freedom-from-relapse outcome than those treated with topical mechlorethamine hydrochloride (nitrogen mustard) (n = 73, P < .05). No significant difference was seen in the long-term survival between the 2 treatment groups.
Conclusions: Patients with clinical stage IA mycosis fungoides treated at Stanford University do not have an altered life expectancy. Fewer than 10% progressed to more advanced stages and few died of disease. Although the response rate to total skin electron beam therapy was superior to that of topical mechlorethamine, the longterm survival results were similar. Topical mechlorethamine is a cost-effective and convenient therapy for patients with limited patch and plaque mycosis fungoides.