CTCL Symptoms

If you have CTCL (Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma) or you care for someone who may have CTCL, you should know its symptoms.

CTCL SYMPTOMS ARE DIFFERENT FOR EVERY PATIENT

CTCL appears primarily on the skin. It can also progress to other parts of the body. It can affect the lymph nodes, internal organs, and blood stream:

• CTCL symptoms are often mistaken for a rash, for eczema (a noncontagious inflammation of the skin, characterized chiefly by redness, itching, and the outbreak of lesions), psoriasis [sor-I-uh-sis] (a noncontagious inflammation of the skin characterized by recurring reddish patches covered with silvery scales), or other types of dermatitis (inflammation of the skin).
• CTCL may make the skin feel itchy and dry in patches. If patches appear, they may enlarge.
• CTCL may also cause plaques (thick, raised lesions) or tumors (raised bumps, which may or may not form ulcers) on the skin.
• Remember that individual CTCL symptoms may vary. Talk to your doctor.

CTCL MAY PROGRESS AND THE PROGRESSION IS UNPREDICTABLE

• CTCL may progress slowly over several years.
• Some cases of CTCL grow very quickly.
• Some CTCL cases progress rapidly to a certain point and then stop.
• Eventually, CTCL may spread to the lymph nodes and internal organs. It may have serious complications.
• Remember that individual symptoms may vary. Talk to your doctor.