The cutaneous T cell lymphoma service at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is managed by our consultant dermatologists with support from a team of specialist nurses.
Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTLC) is a rare form of cancer affecting the lymphatic system which is an important part of our immune system.
If you have had a biopsy which has raised the suspicion of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, your doctor may refer you to our CTCL service.
We will invite you to attend the clinic for assessment and then your case will be discussed at a special meeting involving the MDT (multidisciplinary team) the same day.
Once your case has been fully discussed, the dermatologist will explain their findings and discuss your treatment options.
This can all take a bit of time and therefore means that your first appointment can last up to two hours.
Treatment options for CTCL
We offer a full range of treatments for CTCL. This includes:
- topical treatment (creams),
- phototherapy,
- systemic treatments (intravenous) with optional access to clinical trials where appropriate,
- radiotherapy,
- extracorporeal photophoresis and
- in selected cases, stem cell transplant.
A regional service
We see patients from all over the North East and North Cumbria with a CTCL diagnosis. Once under our care they have open access to our clinic at any time, although we work with their local hospital so that they can receive their treatment as close to home as possible.
We also have close links with colleagues at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough and have a consultant working between the two hospital sites. This ensures that we can offer provide high standards of care smoothly.
More about CTCL
You can find out more about CTCL on these websites:
Macmillan Lymphoma Action Cancer Research UK
