Cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL): A comparative clinical feature and survival outcome analysis of 52 cases according to primary tumor site.

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is primary extranodal or secondary to nodal disease.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to analyze clinical features and survival outcomes by primary tumor site in patients with cutaneous ALCL.

METHODS

Clinical features, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors of 52 patients with primary or secondary cutaneous ALCL to primary nodal disease were retrospectively evaluated using medical records.

RESULTS

Although skin lesion characteristics did not significantly differ between groups, the head and neck location was more common in primary cutaneous ALCL, whereas cutaneous lesion extent was greater in secondary cutaneous ALCL. Skin lesion extent in primary cutaneous ALCL was indicative of extracutaneous dissemination development and skin lesion relapse. Neither anaplastic lymphoma kinase expression nor clinical stage affected skin lesion characteristics in secondary cutaneous ALCL. Patients with primary rather than secondary cutaneous ALCL demonstrated better survival outcomes. The skin lesion extent and location on the leg were associated with the tendency toward a poorer prognosis in primary cutaneous ALCL. The secondary cutaneous ALCL prognosis was not influenced by skin lesion characteristics.

LIMITATIONS

This was a retrospective study in a single institution.

CONCLUSION

Survival outcomes and prognostic factors in cutaneous ALCL differed by primary tumor site.