Use of biological response modifiers in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is typically a skin-infiltrating, clonal proliferative disorder of CD4+ T cells that exhibit a T-helper type 2 cytokine phenotype. Therapeutic decisions are based on the extent of disease and the observations that host-antitumor responses occur and that these responses may be blunted by the immunosuppressive cytokines produced by the malignant T cells. Biologic response modifiers, which may enhance cell-mediated immunity and antitumor responses, are active agents in the treatment of CTCL. The rationale and use of biologic response modifiers to treat CTCL are reviewed in this article.

Public and professional educational materials on skin cancer.

In 1988, Dr. Thomas Jansen, then president of the American Academy of Dermatology, established a Presidential Commission on Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer, with Dr. Arthur Sober as commission chairman. The Commission was directed to coordinate the Academy's diverse public and professional educational and screening activities related to skin cancer. Among the mandates of the Commission was the organization of a clearinghouse of current educational materials on skin cancer for health care providers and consumers. This complication is considered to be especially significant now because of increased effort by dermatologists to encourage physician visits and routine patient self-examination for early detection of skin cancer. The national and international campaigns to increase awareness of the harmful effects of the sun have generated much excellent educational information. Some audiovisual material, notably slide sets, will be especially helpful to meet increasing demand on dermatologists to present lectures to local consumer groups. This listing should facilitate ordering of these materials. Because of the lag time between preparation of this document and its publication, cost and availability data may have changed. The compilation will be updated periodically and printed in the Journal. The ongoing development of new educational materials requires continuous updating. It is hoped that readers who become aware of new relevant material will send this information to the author, in care of the Communications Division at the Academy offices in Evanston. International materials will be included in the next compilation.

Eccrine adenocarcinoma--report of a case, treatment with Mohs surgery.

Eccrine adenocarcinomas are neoplasms with a low incidence of occurrence and a prolonged and insidious course. The diversity of the histologic findings compatible with the diagnosis contributes to the difficulty of establishing a histologic prognosis from the pathology. Tumors with histologic features consistent with benign adenomas have subsequently metastasized, reflecting both the variable behavior of these tumors and problems with diagnostic and prognostic classification. Eccrine adenocarcinoma usually presents as a discrete lesion involving the scalp or upper extremities. It may also occur on the trunk and lower extremities. The gross morphology of the tumor is not specific, therefore the clinical diagnosis of eccrine adenocarcinoma is rarely made. Herein we report a case of the malignant eccrine acrospiroma type with lymph node metastasis, an approach to therapy, and guidelines for histologic criteria of malignancy.