Skin (cutaneous) lymphomas often manifest as a skin rash.
Although usually identified early, skin lymphomas can be mistaken for other skin conditions, delaying diagnosis.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) pops up if lymphocytes called T cells and B cells become cancerous.
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Hello World / Getty Images
Symptoms
Skin lymphomas often appear as askin rash.
Types of Skin Lymphomas
Skin lymphomas are derived from eitherB cellsorT cells.
B cells are an important WBC that fight infection by producing antibodies.
These antibodies attach to germs and destroy them.
T-cell skin lymphomas are more common than B-cell skin lymphomas.
The accumulation of T cells forms tumors and lesions in the skin.
CTCL affects more men than women.
This process causes an accumulation of B cells, resulting inskin tumorsand lesions.
Lymphoma Tumor Grade
Tumor grade describes how a tumor looks under a microscope.
If the tumor cells look highly abnormal, it is high grade and more aggressive.
The tumor grade is different than the stage.
Stages
Like other cancers, skin lymphoma progresses through stages.
The stage of the disease affects how it is treated and what the overall prognosis is.
Diagnosis
Skin lymphomas are usually identified in the early stages.
However, diagnosis can be delayed since skin lymphomas mimic other skin conditions.
CTCLs are more common than CBCLs but can be more difficult to diagnose.
What can be mistaken for skin lymphoma?
Skin lymphomas are often misdiagnosed as dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, or skin infections.
Breast cancer may be suspected for women who develop a new rash on one of their breasts.
High-grade CBCLs often recur (come back) even after treatment.
Skin lymphoma treatments include:
Is skin lymphoma curable?
Most skin lymphomas have an excellent prognosis.
However, there are more aggressive types that require intense cancer treatment.
Although rare, some skin lymphomas can spread and eventually cause death.
Summary
Skin lymphomas develop from cancerous white blood cells called B cells and T cells.
Although skin lymphomas are usually identified early, they are often mistaken for other skin conditions, delaying diagnosis.
Skin rashes are the most common symptomof skin lymphoma.
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